Frozen
by Jedi Princess Clarrisani
Summary: Sequel to Eclipse. With their teammates kidnapped and one dying, its up to Kai, Lee, and Ray to save them in a race against time. Some Shonen Ai. [Breakers-Tigers] Completed March 17
1. Frozen

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Frozen

This is my second attempt at BeyBlade Fan Fiction, and the follow up to _Eclipse_. My favourite characters are Ray and Kai, so you'll find that they get more reading time then Tyson, Max, and Kenny, so I apologise in advance. Word of warning, I built up a small bond between Kai, Ray, and Lee in the last fic, and will be expanding upon this, so this fic may contain some shonen-ai in later chapters.

**Thank you** to Melanie of Level 4 Chaos for drawing the absolutely beautiful picture for this fic. The direct link to the pic will be found in Chapter 11 in which the pic is set, but if you are impatient then pay a visit to Melanie's site level4chaos.goldenyaoihuggle.com Warning: this site contains shonen ai, but some delightful images of all different Beyblade couples, as well as Digimon and other animes. Its worth a visit, trust me.

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Note: The ages of the characters in this story are as myself and my sister see them in the series. Gary is 18. Kai, Ray, and Lee are 17. Mariah is 16. Max and Kevin are 14. Tyson and Kenny are 13. Remember, this is only the view of two people and you may not all agree, but this is their ages in this story.

Also, this is a continue on where the last fic left off. Kai and Ray are now fully recovered from their injuries and the American Tournament is now over. The results of the Tournament are included in the fic. The group are taking a small break to get over the events of the American Tournament, though they are still in America.

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Disclaimer: I've said it before and I'll say it again: I do not own the characters.

* * *

"Aw man, I'm so full I feel like I'm going to burst."

"Yeah. Me too."

"But this food is so good."

"Almost as good as Mum makes."

"I've just got to have a little bit more…"

Kenny looked up from where he was leaning over his laptop and frowned. "I thought you just said you were too full to eat any more."

"No, I said I was so full I felt like I'm going to burst," Tyson reached and snagged another puff cake from the pile. "I never said I couldn't eat more. Right Gary?"

The elder boy nodded, taking a pastry in his hand and biting into it, the cream sliding out a hole in the side and catching in the corners of his mouth. "This is great."

In a chair by the fire, another teen sighed and closed his eyes, shaking his head sadly as he returned his attention to his magazine hidden within his book, a small smile playing across his lips as he eyed off the car, or rather, the figure stretched out across the bonnet car. Talk about fully equipped…

A hand reached out and pulled the book from his hands, snapping up the magazine and looking down into it. "Lee!"

"What?" Lee reached up, snatching the magazine back from his pink haired teammate. "It's a nice car."

Mariah placed her hands on her hips and glared down at him. "You weren't looking at the car."

"Oh really? And how do _you_ know that?"

Lee shot around as someone leaned over the back of the chair and grabbed the magazine, looking down at the image and raising his eyebrows. "Shame now Lee. What were you thinking?"

Mariah smiled.

"You could have at least got one where they were wearing a skimpy bathing suit or less."

Mariah's eyes widened, the smile abruptly vanishing. "Ray!"

Kevin looked up from where he was playing against Max on the playstation, green hair falling into his eyes as he looked toward his longtime friends. "Can I take a look?"

"Forget it!" Mariah glared at him. "And these two aren't going to look at it anymore, either."

Ray handed Lee back the magazine, smiling as his best friend rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm going to go see what Kai is up to."

"He's been in there for over an hour," Max said, then punched the air. "Yeah! Told you Gohan rules!"

Kevin growled, throwing down his controller. "This isn't how it happened. Majin Buu kicked Gohan's behind in the series."

"Play again?"

"Only if I'm Cell."

"You're on!"

Ray smiled faintly, turning and moving toward the corridor, leaving the commotion of the Blade Breakers and White Tigers behind him.

* * *

Well, that's the start. Seems like Lee and Ray are straight, right? Heh heh heh…

**Note:** The boys were playing _Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22_


	2. Peeping Tom

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2: Peeping Tom

No shonen ai in this chapter, but I want to give a big thumbs up out to the people of KaixReiML for their help and support in my learning the ropes of both Beyblade and yaoi. In particular, K/R shonen ai. And thanks to Akai for explaining Uke and Seme to me. You're right, sounds much better in Japanese. ;)

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Disclaimer: If you own the rights and want to sell them, however, I can give you a dollar. J 

* * *

Ray opened the door to the room he, Kai, and Lee shared, catlike eyes darting around until he spotted the taller boy by the window, looking out and down. Frowning, Ray closed the door and stepped into the room, eyes narrowing as he tried to figure out what Kai was doing. Before he could say anything, Kai raised a hand, gesturing for him to come forward and join him. Not saying a word, Ray complied and looked out the window, a smirk crossing his lips.

"Now I know why you wanted the room over looking the pool." He leant forward, trying to get a better angle. "Who are they?"

"Cheerleaders from one of the football teams," Kai answered, crossing his arms over his chest as he smiled faintly. "There was a game last night, so now they're just relaxing."

Ray blinked, spotting something. "Wait a minute, is that girl-"

"Topless?" Kai finished, grin widening. "Yeap. So's the one facedown on the deck chair."

Ray sighed. "And here I was thinking my day couldn't get any better."

Kai raised a hand and pointed. "Check out the blond piece by the pool."

Ray looked for the one Kai was referring to and sniggered. "Now that's what I'm talking about."

"Wouldn't you just love to help her out of _her_ swimsuit?"

"Oh yeah."

Kai's grin had become toothy yet still devilish. "Come on baby, be like your friends and get it off."

"Won't happen." Ray flicked his gaze quickly to the side. "They might melt."

"You think they're fake?"

"Too perfect. Though I love the arse on the one just getting out of the pool."

"Not bad. Nice legs though."

"Little bit too skinny for my taste. But then, anorexia does that."

"Hn." Kai's gaze moved around the group. "Looks like another one's losing the top half."

"Yeah!" Ray's eyes scanned the group. "I see her. Now _those_ are real."

"Perfection." Kai sniggered. "Love to hold those in the palm of my hand."

"I would love-"

Ray never got the chance to finish his sentence as something hard smacked them over the back of the head, sending them headfirst into the glass. Before they could recover, they were yanked backward by their shirts and dragged from the room and into the main living area, to be thrown roughly to the ground. Ray looked back to protest, eyes widening as he saw who it was and chose to remain quiet. Kai moved to get up, but a foot planted itself at the base of his neck and pinned him to the ground.

"Mr Dickenson!"

The elder man looked up from his paper. "Yes?"

"I just found these two perverts checking out a bunch of women at the pool."

Kai growled. "They were asking for it, Mariah, why else would they take their tops off-" He fought back a yelp as Mariah dug her heel in.

Lee looked up sharply. "Wait a minute, there's topless girls out there you can see from our room and you didn't come and get me!"

Mariah shot a glare toward him. "That's not helping, Lee."

Tyson pushed himself up. "This I gotta see."

"You will do no such thing." Mr Dickenson looked down at the two teens on the floor at Mariah's feet. "Do you two have anything to say for yourselves?"

"Ethically wrong," Ray admitted. "But great eye candy."

Lee bit back a laugh.

Mariah crossed her arms. "I'm going to go down there and tell those women exactly what you two were doing. I wouldn't be surprised if they had you charged."

"Yeah, whatever." Kai managed to get out from underneath her foot and to his feet. "But I'm going to enjoy the show while it lasts."

"What!"

Ray was on his feet in an instant scrambling after Kai as Lee leapt up and dashed after them, the door to the room slamming closed, followed by a click as the lock slid in place. Mariah fumed, turning and storming from the apartment and toward the elevator.

Once more at the window, the three teens watched as Mariah stormed into the pool area, calling to the women who turned toward her. After conversing for a few moments, the group looked up toward window. One of the women asked Mariah something, who looked confused and answered, the women laughing and turning to wave up at the window.

Lee smirked. "I think they asked who we were." He slapped Ray on the back. "About now I'm glad you're a sex symbol, my friend."

Ray felt his cheeks warm. "Kai's one too, remember. The Bad Boy of Blading."

Their eyes widened as all the cheerleaders removed their tops and used them to wave up at the window. Ray waved back, causing the women to laugh. Mariah huffed, spinning on her heel and storming out of the pool area and back inside, leaving the women to their flirting.

Ray followed Mariah with his eyes. "You do realise we're probably going to receive an ear bashing now."

Lee shrugged. "Won't be the first time."

* * *

Yes, I had a _lot_ of fun writing this chapter. So what do you all think of it? Gotta love those fan girls. *Snigger*


	3. Secrets

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3: Secrets

Sorry for the delay in the update. Slight shonen-ai. Story getting complicated now. And thanks for the reviews.

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Disclaimer: How does $1.50 sound? In Australian that is. :)

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Mr Dickenson knocked on the door. "We're going down for dinner, boys, if you want to join us. I have a table reserved in the restaurant downstairs."

Kai scowled. Great, yet another opportunity for Tyson to embarrass them. "Yeah, whatever."

"Oh, and there's a message for you Kai. Apparently there is someone to see you and would like to meet you downstairs in 10 minutes."

"Fine."

"Well, I'll see you three soon."

Ray looked up from his book toward where Kai was working a nick out of his attack ring. "Who would want to see you?"

Kai shrugged, sliding his beyblade into one of his pockets as he stood and moved toward the door, unlocking it and heading outside. Once he was gone, Ray stood, moving passed where Lee was meditating on the bed to the window, watching as the sun slowly dipped toward the horizon. He sighed, feeling a shiver run up his spine. There was something about the approaching night that he didn't like…

Ray smiled as a pair of arms slipped around him from behind, the others breath warm on the side of his face, soothing his nerves. "Hi."

"Hi." The other nuzzled his neck. "You like him, don't you."

"Like who?"

"Kai." The other laughed softly. "Don't pretend you haven't been flirting."

"Is that jealousy I hear in your voice, Lee?" Ray looked back in the catlike orbs of his childhood friend.

Lee shrugged. "Not jealously. A little envy maybe. He talks to _you_ more."

"Don't tell me _you_ like him."

"Maybe I do." Lee spotted the look in Ray's eye and trailed his fingers over his back. "Don't worry, I'm not breaking up with you to just so I can chase Kai."

Ray narrowed his eyes, a slight smirk on his lips. "I know that tone of voice. What are you up to, Lee?"

Lee chuckled. "You're a tiger and I'm a lion."

"Yeah."

"Well, I was thinking of going hunting…"

"Go on."

"For some phoenix."

The corners of Ray's mouth turned upward, eyes sparkling mischievously. "The both of us, hm?"

"Don't like it?"

"Oh, I like it. Just wondering how we can pull it off."

"Doubt me, do you?"

"Never." Ray turned, stroking the side of Lee's face and kissing him gently. "You successfully hunted me down, but I think Kai's going to be a lot harder."

"Never said it was going to be easy." Lee turned his head as they heard the apartment door open and close, signalling that Kai had just left. "First though, let's go see who he is meeting."

Ray nodded. "He's been very secretive over these meetings. He went to one just before the American tournament, and when we ask him about it he just brushed us off. It's almost like he's hiding something."

"Aren't we all." Lee pulled on his shoes, straightening and moving to the door, waiting for Ray to finish getting ready. "By the way, I'd take you over those girls anyday."

"Look who's trying to score points." Ray switched off the light and joined Lee by the door, reaching out to brush the hair from the others eyes. "You know, I remember how you used to be taller then me."

"Hey, I'm still growing. You wait. I'm only 17 remember." Lee stretched, stepping out of the apartment. "Besides, I'm not short like someone else we know."

"Hn. Kevin."

"Mmm-hm." Lee looked down the corridor. "Elevator or stairs?"

"Stairs. Give him time to get ahead of us."

"And let us hide on the balcony above the foyer you mean."

Ray smiled and shrugged.

* * *

Told you they weren't straight. My first attempted at shonen-ai. And whom do _you_ think Kai is going to meet in the foyer? I know, but then, I'm the writer. If you want to take a stab, add it to your review and we'll find out if you're right next update. It should be pretty easy to guess.


	4. Family Values

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4: Family Values

The answer to your guesses is… well, just read on. Oh, and case you are wondering where Mr Granger – Tyson's Grandpa – is, that's because I haven't included him in this story. He never came to America.

_Sarcasmcat:_ Thank you. I hope it keeps it up for you.

_TigerTerror:_ What's wrong with Lee's plan? ^_^;; And like I said above, the meeting is in this chapter so read on.

_Chain Gun:_ Have you been pinching the jellybeans? I can't seem to find mine... :P

_Neko Youkai aka Luna Malfoy:_ You mean Ray and Lee being together? Yeah, that the way it should be. Meeting is below.

_sakura9566:_ Naughty naughty. Too lazy to log in. Hope you like the next chapter. :P

_Rel: _You have no idea just how close to the truth you are...

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Disclaimer: Yes, I know, I'm dreaming. But hey! I'm entitled to it! 

* * *

"You know, I really didn't mind Kai locking himself in his room all day - pass the corn please Max - cause it's been nice and relaxing not listening to him drone on about needing to train every waking minute."

Kenny looked up from his meal. "Like it or not, Tyson, Kai is right about needing to train. Practice makes perfect you know."

"Lee's the same," Kevin piped up, pushing himself up as he reached for the butter. "Train, train, train. That's all he ever goes on about."

Tyson sniggered. "Want me to get you a phone book to sit on, Kev?"

Max looked up, frowning. "Hey look. Who's that guy?"

Mr Dickenson followed Max's gaze, frowning. "That's Voltaire of the Biovolt Corporation. I wonder what he's doing here."

Tyson slid from his seat, following the group of men entering the hotel, Voltaire in the lead. The others followed, keeping to the shadows, watching as Voltaire stopped in a quiet part of the foyer, his companions spreading out to make sure no one approached.

Kenny whimpered. "We're going to get in trouble-"

Kevin shushed him. "Someone's coming."

They watched as the newcomer approached, walk deliberately slow, obviously trying Voltaire's patience. They stepped into the light, causing Tyson's eyes to widen: Kai.

Stopping before Voltaire, Kai bowed his head. "Grandfather."

Tyson turned to Mr Dickenson. "You didn't tell us Kai was Voltaire's grandson."

Mr Dickenson shook his head. "I did not think it important for you to know."

Mariah smiled faintly. "Wow. Kai's a millionaire."

Voltaire turned toward Kai, hard eyes boring into him. "I must commend you on your handling of the Winton situation. The time spent training you to shoot appears to have been worth it."

Kai closed his eyes. "Yes sir."

"But that is not the reason I am here." Voltaire's grip tightened on his steel knobbed walking stick. "How goes your mission?"

Kai opened his eyes. "I know the location of several bit beasts."

"But you do not have them in your possession."

"No sir."

"You have not tried to take them."

Kai paused before he answered. "No sir."

Quicker then the eye could see, Voltaire brought a closed fist backhanded across Kai's face, snapping his head around, causing the group in hiding to gape in shock. "You were given an order, Kai, and I expect it to be followed. You know the price of failure."

Kai brought his head back around slowly, a small trickle of blood falling from a split lip. "Yes sir, I do."

Voltaire narrowed his eyes. "I would hate to have to remind you again, Kai. But if I must-"

"The BBA has discovered a way to create artificial bit beasts."

Voltaire turned slowly. "Are you certain?"

Kai nodded. "I've seen them. The All Starz team all battle with them."

"Interesting." Voltaire smiled faintly. "Do you know more about them?"

"Its called Project Power Beyblade. Its base is one of the BBA research centres not far from here. To an outsider it might seem like simply a research centre to create the ultimate blade and blader, but they also have a hidden division, one dedicated solely to the creation of the ultimate beast."

Voltaire nodded, eyes hard. "Very good, grandson. You have saved yourself this time. This is information that I can use."

Kai remained silent.

Voltaire looked at him, eyes narrowed. "However, Kai, should you fail me again you will be given no second chances." He paused. "One other thing. There is a rumour that your team is sharing an apartment with the Chinese team, these… White Tigers. Is this true?"

Kai's jaw tightened. "Yes grandfather, it is."

"Are not three of these White Tigers neko-jin? And one of your team as well? Raymond Kon, I do believe his name was."

Kai nodded. "Yes sir."

Voltaire looked at him, grip tightening on his cane. "And what of these rumours that you are sharing a room with _two_ of these neko-jin?"

Kai narrowed his eyes. "They are good bladers-"

The steel knob of the cane caught him in the jaw, sending him stumbling to the side. Before he could recover, the cane caught him across the chest, causing him to gasp as he heard bones crack under the blow. He double over, bringing his arms up to protect his head as the cane came down again, catching him on the arm. He bit back a yelp, another blow catching him in the head with such force that he was thrown backward, hitting the ground hard.

"That's enough!"

Voltaire turned, lowering his cane from where he was about to bring down another blow, noting for the first time the group standing there. Max and Kenny had Tyson by the arms, holding him back as the fuming blader tried to lunge toward the Biovolt director. At the head of the group, the one who had spoken stood strong.

Voltaire straightened. "This has nothing to do with you, Dickenson."

"It has everything to do with me, Voltaire." Mr Dickenson narrowed his eyes. "You've attacked one of my bladers."

"Discipline, Dickenson, can go a long way. Surely you must know that." Hearing a sound, Voltaire turned to see two neko-jin land easily on their feet to hover over Kai, who was curled up in a fetal position. Voltaire narrowed his eyes, recognising one of the two as Kai's teammate, and the other to be the White Tiger team leader. They snarled, catlike eyes flashing as they showed their fangs, silently challenging him to attack Kai again. Voltaire turned his back on them. "But then, you always _were_ soft."

Mr Dickenson didn't move. "It would be best if you were to leave, Voltaire. Before I am forced to call the authorities."

Voltaire's grip tightened on his cane as he closed his eyes and began to move from the room, his companions falling into step behind him. Stopping, he frowned. "I'm very disappointed in you, Kai. The next time we see each other, I expect you to have completed you mission, understand Grandson?"

Kai drew a shuddering breath. "Yes Grandfather, I understand."

Voltaire didn't bother to look back as he moved from the room.

Tyson strained against Max and Kenny's grip, eyes flashing as he growled. "What kind of grandfather are you! Grandfathers aren't supposed to do that! You're not supposed to do that! He's your _grandson_!"

Ray knelt down beside Kai as he heard Mr Dickenson order Kevin to find the hotel doctor. Kai's crimson eyes looked weakly up at him before they fluttered closed as Kai allowed the darkness to claim him.

* * *

Well, this story _is_ an angst. It was bound to happen sooner or later, after all.


	5. Questions

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5: Questions

Has anyone else noticed how hard it is to find good pictures of Lee and Kevin? Anyone want to convince one of the fan artists to draw some? (Not having a go at you Melanie, just saying.)

_Sarcasmcat:_ I'm flattered. #^_^#

_TigerTerror:_ *Hugs Kai* Ooo you're mean, picking on poor Kai... but it _is_ true!!! (Kai: O.o Why does it always happen to me?)

_Frostt_: Good to here it. Hope you like the next chapter.

_Neko Youkai aka Luna Malfoy:_ I prefer Kai/Ray too, but I also like to experiment. Take a look at my new fic "Honesty" which deals with an _interesting_ White Tiger matchup *shameless plug*

_sakura9566:_ You'll just have to wait and see what he does. ^_~

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Disclaimer: I dream a lot. Sometimes I'm not sure when the dreams end and real life begins. But then, Kai and Ray aren't really real, are they. 

* * *

Kevin sighed, moving toward the fireplace and pausing by the chair. "I made you some coffee."

"I don't want any, thank you."

"Please, Mariah." Kevin set the mug down on the table, kneeling at her feet and looking up at her. "The doctor's left. He says Kai's going to be fine. He's got a couple of cracked ribs, a sprained wrist, and some bad bruising, but nothing really serious."

"But it _is_ serious." Mariah looked up, tears swelling in her eyes. "How could anyone do that to _anyone_? It's just… it's just not right."

"I know." Kevin reached up, placing one of his hands on top of hers. "Sometimes I forget how lucky we really are, coming from such a tight knit village. I used to find it suffocating, not being able to do anything without someone telling my parents cause they would tell me off… but they only used to do it because they really care about me." He smiled faintly. "They must have been really sick when they found out about the Winton thing."

"I'm surprised my parents didn't send for me to come home," Mariah admitted, turning her hand over so she could squeeze that of her childhood friend. "Thanks Kev."

"That's okay."

She reached down, smirking as she brushed the fringe from his face to reveal his hidden eye. "You really should do something about that fringe of yours. Maybe let me cut it-"

"No way!" The youngest of the neko-jin laughed, shaking his head and letting his green hair fall back into place. "And if anyone needs to fix their hair, it's you. You have this piece sticking up at the top-"

"Where?" Mariah's hands flew to her head, feeling for the bit he was talking about.

Kevin chuckled. "Fooled you."

Mariah glared at him, then smiled, picking up her coffee and sipping it. "You know Kevin, sometimes I'm glad you're so annoying."

"Yeah, me too."

~~~~*~~~~

"It's just not right."

"That's the hundredth time you've said that." Max looked at Tyson and frowned. "Besides, we know it's not right, but these things happen."

"Max is right, Tyson." Mr Dickenson sighed, looking at where Ray was gently cleaning the last of the blood from Kai's face, the other boy still unconscious. "Voltaire is a hard and cruel man. It is my guess that he has been abusing Kai since Kai was a small boy."

Tyson looked up. "But where are Kai's parents? Surely they must know what's going on."

"Only Kai can answer that," Lee commented from where he was sitting cross-legged on his bed, watching as Ray worked. "And then, only if he wants too."

"Aw great, now we'll _never_ find out."

Lee frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ray looked back at him. "Kai has never been much of a talker. We can barely get him to tell us how his day has been, let alone anything about his past or family."

"He'd rather just sit and listen," Max agreed. "Either that or just ruffle Tyson's feathers. He's the only one who _really_ knows what buttons to push."

"He's still a key member of the team." Kenny looked toward Kai. "I have a feeling that if he weren't team captain, we wouldn't be doing as well as we are. If it weren't for his offhand advice, we would have lost a long time ago."

"Say what?" Tyson turned toward him. "You can't be serious."

"I happen to agree with him, which is why I chose him to be Team Leader," Mr Dickenson said.

Max looked at the now sulking Tyson, then back to Kenny. "Want _I_ want to know is what a neko-jin is."

"I can answer that, Chief." Ray looked at Max and smiled faintly. "I'm a neko-jin. And so's Lee, Mariah, and Kevin. It means we have feline blood."

Lee smiled faintly, crossing his arms over his chest. "You can pick us from a mile away. The pointed ears, fangs, and cat-eyes are the biggest give away."

Ray grinned. "We are more flexible and always land on our feet. We also move different."

"Oh I get it!" Max grinned. "You guys kinda glide, or move like you're stalking your prey."

Ray nodded. "That's it."

Tyson frowned. "So what's Voltaire's problem with you guys anyway?"

"It's rather simply, Tyson," Mr Dickenson spoke up. "Many people view the neko-jin as inferior, or simply as being less human. Much like the Nazi's viewed the Jews during the holocaust."

Lee closed his eyes and sighed. "They hate us. Many try to hunt us down like we are game in a hunting expedition, to stick our heads on a wall. Many of our kind have been murdered by those like Voltaire, which is why we travel in groups." He opened his eyes and looked toward Ray. "And it is yet another reason we were so angered when Ray left us."

Ray tore his eyes away from Lee's pained look, returning his attention to Kai. "You know why I left Lee."

"Yeah." Lee pushed himself off the bed and crossed to the window, looking out at the reddened sky as he leaned against the frame. "Well, it's obvious that this Voltaire guy doesn't like us, and if he's really as rich and powerful as he's supposed to be, then we had better be careful."

Tyson looked toward the form stretched out on the bed. "Yeah, Kai might try and kill you."

"Somehow, I doubt that." Mr Dickenson moved toward the doorway. "His grandfather might have a problem with the neko-jin, but I do believe Kai has the upmost respect for them. Especially for Ray and the White Tigers. Now, I do believe we should try to get some rest. Perhaps by the morning Kai will be better. Come along boys."

* * *

You know, I'm actually having fun developing these relationships. I hope you're enjoying reading them as much as I am writing them. Review anyone?


	6. Night

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6: Night

_TigerTerror_: I think the only thing seriously hurt was Kai's pride. As for what happens...

_Sarcasmcat:_ #^_^#

_sakura9566: _Once he wakes up, yes. But you know how it goes - _if_ he wakes up. ~_^

_Frostt:_ What sort of details do you think needed to be included?

_Rel_: 'Winton' is Mr Winton from _Eclipse_, or should I say, the guy who held them all hostage at the American Tournament. In my opinion Gary is what I've termed a 'halfling' or 'halfbred'. He has neko-jin in him, but he's not completely pure. Though, if you look at G-Revolution, his ears have gone pointy too. As for the hatred toward neko-jin, I'm thinking of them in terms of 'animals', but also adding an element of the holocaust, or attitude of the Nazi's to the Jews. And yes, makes it more interesting, and is one hell of a plot twist. ~_^

Thanks for the reviews all. I know I'm trying to be different doing a Ray/Lee/Kai match-up, but maybe I can start a craze. I hope to see more of the K/L/R soon. Oh, and there's some shonen-ai in this chapter.

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Disclaimer: I wish they were real. I wish I knew how to beyblade too. Have I mentioned that I don't own Beyblade?

* * *

As soon as the others were gone, a silence descended upon the room. Lee looked out across the horizon and at the darkening sky. He sighed, resting his head against the frame. So much had happened and he felt exhausted, but that last conversation had brought up memories that he just couldn't chase away.

Arms slid around him from behind as Ray rested his head on Lee's shoulder. They stood for a moment, watching the sky darken, before Ray gently kissed Lee's neck.

"You shouldn't have brought up the murder thing."

Lee sighed, leaning back into Ray's arms. "It's true."

"But your brother-"

"-died because he was a neko-jin." Lee closed his eyes. "Because he grew impatient with our village and struck out on his own."

"Much like I did."

Lee opened his eyes and looked behind him and into Ray's. "The reason the White Tigers left our village was to come looking for you. We were worried sick, but at the same time, so betrayed." He smirked, nudging an elbow into Ray's chest. "And Mariah has the biggest crush on you."

"A pity for her that I'm already taken." Ray reached up and pulled at the ribbons in Lee's hair, then brushed it free with his fingers. "So what are we going to do about Kai?"

Lee turned toward the unconscious teen and frowned. "Well, this Voltaire issue puts a whole new swing on things. At least now we know why he's so closed. We'll just have to find a way to get him to open up."

"I doubt he's ever allowed himself to love or be loved by anyone." Ray moved toward Kai, reaching out to caress his brow. "We'll have to teach him what it's like."

"Got to swing him first." Lee pulled the drapes closed, then moved to join Ray. "He was easily checking out those women, but is he interested in guys?"

Ray looked up and smirked. "Think back to the Winton episode."

Lee frowned, then smiled faintly. "He kept asking for you. You're right, he has the tendencies."

"He just needs to come out of the closet."

Lee snorted. "So do we."

Ray smiled, moving toward Lee and sliding his arms around his neck. "But I like working behind everyone's back. Besides, Gary knows."

"Yeah, _Gary_." Lee ran his fingers up and down Ray's spine, glancing down at Kai. "Gary only found out because he saw us back in our village."

Ray tugged at Lee's hair and raised an eyebrow. "You forget that it was also Gary that set us up in the first place."

Lee laughed. "Yeah. Sometimes I forget about that. For someone who's a little slow, thinks only with his stomach, and is purely hetro, he did a pretty good job."

Ray smiled as Lee slowly began to work his hair free. "Maybe we should get him to give us a hand with Kai."

"I don't think so. This time I want to do it on my own." Lee leant forward so that his lips brushed against Ray's and smiled. "That way I can reap the rewards knowing that I really earned them."

Ray stared into Lee's eyes, pressing up against him. "And you didn't earn me?"

"I never said that."

Ray nodded to the side. "Think he'll wake up anytime soon?"

By now Lee had succeeded in freeing Ray's hair and ran his hands through it, marvelling at its length. "I doubt he will til tomorrow."

"Yeah."

Ray pressed his lips against Lee's, pushing himself up against him as Lee tightened his hold around Ray's waist. It was hard for them to find a moment alone, and when they did, they didn't waste the opportunity. While Lee was physically stronger, Ray used his height to his advantage, pushing Lee down and back until he fell onto the bed, dragging Ray down with him.

Ray trailed his lips down Lee's neck, the other closing his eyes and sighing with pleasure, one hand holding the back of Ray's head encouraging him not to stop. Ray continued down, pushing open Lee's vest and taking one of his nipples between his teeth and nibbling gently.

Lee rested his head back against the pillow, a smile tugging at his lips. "Who said it was your turn to be dominant?"

Ray chuckled, resting his chin on Lee's chest and looking up. "I felt like it. Besides, you need some cheering up."

"Really," Lee chuckled. "Listen Tiger, my brother died so long ago I barely remember him."

"I know that _Leeroy_, but right now I've got the upper hand." Ray smirked. "Whether you like it, or not."

Lee frowned. "Sorry, but I do believe-"

Ray slid up the bed, pressing his mouth down on Lee's and silencing him. For a long time the only sound in the room was that of the passion filled kisses, before Ray pulled back for air. "You really talk too much sometimes."

Lee reached up, cupping Ray's face in one hand and smiling. "I know one thing you'll never get sick of me saying."

Ray kissed the tip of his nose. "And what's that?"

"I love you."

Ray smiled, kissing him again. "Yeah. I'll never get sick of that."

* * *

A bit more shonen-aiish then last time. And it feels weird to write guy/guy, as I'm so used to writing guy/girl. It's not the his/her thing more then it is what body parts are where. And for those who say Lee would dominate… well, he doesn't always, as you can see. Now, about Kai dominating…


	7. Alone

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7: Alone

V-Force is airing in Australia. I'll have to get back to you on what I think. I missed the first four episodes… but I get to see Kai's introduction. And it was awesome!!! Just wish they hadn't taken it off the air _ 

_Chain Gun:_ Thanks for taking the time to review! 

_TigerTerror:_ We're cruel, being so mean to Kai. But it's fun! 

_sakura9566: _Too lazy to log in, too lazy to write a big review. If I turn off anonymous review, what will you do? (Hey! That rhymes!!!) 

_Sarcasmcat:_ The wait is over my friend. ^_^ 

_Frostt_: I'm going to keep the PG-13, so no need to worry about the shonen ai getting _too_ strong 

_Rel: _Yes, they're cute, and yes, I was waiting for Kai to wake up too! #^_^# 

****

Disclaimer: I think I said I don't own Beyblade. Well, if I didn't, I still don't own it. I wish I could own Ray and Kai though. And Lee. I mean, check out the body in "Bye Bye Bit Beast" *Drools*

* * *

"C'mon Gary, you can't eat _all_ those eggs by yourself. Let me have some."

Gary shook his head, pulling the plate closer. "You want 'em, you make your own."

Tyson pointed to the heaped plate in front of the White Tiger. "Why should I make my own when you've got at least two dozen right there."

"These are mine. I made 'em, I eat 'em."

Kenny frowned as he finished pouring his glass of orange juice. "He has a point, Tyson. I don't see why you can't make your own anyway."

"Oh fine! Take his side already!"

"What's going on?"

The group looked up as he entered, Mariah smiling. "Hey there, Lee."

Lee nodded his greeting, looking around the table, eyes falling onto Tyson. "Well? What's happening?"

Tyson crossed his arms over his chest. ""Gary has all those eggs and won't give me any."

Lee looked down at Gary's plate and raised an eyebrow. "You going on a diet or something, Gaz?"

Gary smiled. "Trying to cut back."

Tyson blinked. "Wha-?"

"Gary's only got about quarter of what he usually eats," Kevin explained, spooning in another mouthful of cereal.

Mariah watched Lee as he poured himself a strong cup of coffee, then leant back against the counter to sip it. "Rough night, Lee?"

He smiled faintly. "You could say that."

Gary smirked, shovelling in some eggs so no one saw it.

They looked up as Mr Dickenson entered, paper in hand. "Good morning gentleman, Mariah. I do hope you're ready for today's training session."

"Yeah, about that." Lee frowned, setting down his cup. "Ray and I were discussing it before I came out. Kai's made no improvement, so we thought that maybe we could stay back and keep an eye on him. Take it in turns even."

Kevin looked up sharply. "Then who's going to train us?"

"Mariah can handle it."

"And what about me?" Tyson asked. "I'm perfectly capable of overseeing the training."

"I don't think so, kid." Lee looked down at him. "Heading a training session takes both leadership skill and maturity. While I'm sure you've got a little of the former, you're completely lacking in the latter."

"Why you-"

"I totally agree with the idea of leaving you and Ray alone to watch Kai, Lee," Mr Dickenson said, cutting Tyson off. "That way someone can be with him all the time."

"Ray's watching him now. I'm sure he'll come around sometime today."

"Yes, yes, quite right." Mr Dickenson glanced at his watch. "Well, we'll be leaving in half an hour. You kids had better hurry up and get ready."

"Half an hour!?" Tyson looked around sharply. "That's barely enough time to get through half of my breakfast, let alone have a shower and find Dragoon!"

"I wouldn't bother about the shower," Lee said, plucking an apple from the basket and biting into it. "If Mariah's already had hers, then there won't be any hot water."

"Is that so?" Mariah placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. "And you and Ray are any different? I do believe it is Ray who holds the record for the longest shower."

"That's self explanatory." Lee flicked his hair from his face. "It takes forever for him to wash all that hair. He goes through about two bottles of shampoo in one washing."

Tyson looked from Mariah to Lee, and back again. "Why doesn't he just cut it?"

A stunned silence fell over the White Tigers as they stared at him, Mariah finding her voice first. "Because that would be… dishonourable."

"It's against our tradition," Kevin told Tyson. "Our village has it's tradition, and then our families have _their_ traditions, which is why Gary's hair is different to all of ours, and why Ray has his in a wrapping and the rest of us don't."

Max frowned. "How come all your hair is shorter then Ray's then?"

Kevin smiled faintly. "My hair is grown to the length that is traditional for my family. Mariah and Lee are different."

"My hair won't grow any longer," Mariah explained. "And neither will Lee's. It's something we inherited from our parents. It just grows to a certain length, and then stops."

Lee chuckled softly. "There's no way I'm growing eyebrows like my grandfather though."

Mariah smiled. "Those sideburns are enough."

"Don't pick 'em." Lee finished his coffee and set the cup with the rest of the dishes, moving toward the corridor. "Well, I better go see if Ray wants something to eat."

"Lee."

He paused. "Yeah?"

Mr Dickenson looked toward him. "Are you sure you and Ray will be fine alone with Kai?"

Lee shrugged, gesturing toward the group around the table bickering. "Better then looking out for those brats."

Mr Dickenson nodded, smiling faintly as he turned back to the entertainment.

* * *

I'm sure you can all see where this is going.


	8. Revelations

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8: Revelations

_sakura9566_: Oh you're mean. And the reason I update so much is cause the fic is already finished. In fact, I'm currently working the sequel, _Believe_.

_Sarcasmcat_: Here's another chapter. ^_^

_TigerTerror_: Onwards we go, and thanks for compliments on the hair thing. I was unsure about that. And poor Kai. *Hugs him*

_Frostt_: Kai will be back

_Rel_: Ray tripping on his hair? Now _that_ would be funny. *^_^*

_Neko Youkai aka Luna Malfoy: _Good to hear from you again. Don't worry, you've been there this long that I know you'll be back. ^_~

Hee hee. I have a picture of a shirtless Lee. I'm happy. And I think I'm getting better at the shonen-ai. I'm finding it easier to write. Hope you think I'm getting better. Tell me if you don't. Tips are appreciated.

****

Disclaimer: You know, I feel like I'm betraying Kai when I talk about Lee like that. Ah well, still don't own Beyblade.

* * *

"See you guys later!"

Lee rolled his eyes at Max's high spirit goodbye, placing the last of the mugs back into the cupboard. They really needed to do something about keeping the American away from the sugar. It seemed like every time they turned their backs, he grabbed the sugar bowl and started shovelling it into whatever he had on hand: tea, coffee, cereal, pancakes, even his toast. Well, at least Lee didn't have to deal with him today.

Stretching, Lee moved back toward the bedroom. Ray should have finished his shower by now, which left them with time to discuss how they were going to go about the whole Kai thing. They wouldn't be able to simply wing it like they had with each other; they didn't know Kai well enough to do that. Nor did they have a friend to throw them into a corner and make them confess their feelings like Gary had him and Ray.

Lee glanced quickly at the front door as he stepped into the bedroom. Gary, Kevin, and Mariah had better train hard. Their loss to the All Starz in the semi finals proved that they still had plenty of room for improvement, which meant no time for slacking off. If anything could come out of training with the Blade Breakers, it meant fierce competition between the White Tigers and the Asian and American tournament champions. Maybe even-

He was pulled roughly into the room, the door swinging closed behind him before he was slammed up against it. Before he even had time to exclaim, lips were pressed firmly down on his, forestalling any protest. Lee closed his eyes, grabbing Ray by the back of the neck and pulling him closer. Ray's hands moved over his chest as he leant forward, keeping Lee trapped against the doorway with no escape.

"Haven't you two ever heard of getting a room?"

They stopped dead, eyes flying open the reality of who had spoken sunk in. Ray swung around; Lee looking passed him as they gaped. "Kai!"

Crimson eyes burned under an arched eyebrow, faint amusement playing through them as a small smirk tugged at his lips as he watched them.

Lee stepped away from the door, forcing his heart rate to reduce through steady breathing. "This _is_ our room."

Ray shot a warning glare at his lover before he moved toward Kai. "How are you feeling? Need anything? I'm sure there must be _something_ still in the fridge if you want something to eat."

Kai waved it off. "Enough with the questions, Ray. I'm a little sore, and I'm not hungry. I doubt there's anything left anyhow." His eyes flicked from where Ray was standing uncomfortably, to where Lee was stretching out on his bed, and back again. "Always had a feeling there was more to your friendship then you let on."

"So what if there is?" Lee frowned, looking up. "Sit down, Ray. You look like a lost kitten."

Ray's cheeks reddened faintly as he came around the edge of Kai's bed to Lee's and sat at the head. Lee pushed himself so Ray could sit, then lay back with his head in Ray's lap, who absently began to stroke his forehead.

Kai frowned. "I always figured Lee would be the dominant one."

"I am." Lee closed his eyes, knitting his fingers together and resting his hands on top of his chest. "Accept for when I want to be pampered."

"Spoiled rotten," Ray corrected, smiling faintly before looking up at Kai. "About yesterday…"

"It was nothing," Kai said quickly. "Forget about it."

"Like hell we will." Lee's eyes cracked open to look at him. "We all saw what happened, Phoenix."

"Has your grandfather always treated you like that?" Ray asked, frowning slightly at what Lee had called Kai.

"You guys just don't let up, do you." Kai sighed, staring absently in front of him. "Yes, he has always treated me like that, or at least for as long as I can remember. Parts of my childhood are… missing. What I _can_ remember… I wish I could forget. Like I said, what happened yesterday was nothing, at least compared to what he has done in the past. Still wish you guys hadn't jumped in like that though. Now he'll be after you."

"Let him come." Ray's fangs glinted in the light as his voice took on the huskiness that came when he was facing down a challenge. The predator gleam in his eyes faded to curiosity as he looked back down at Lee, then toward Kai. "About the neko-jin-"

"Don't worry, I have nothing against you guys." Kai shrugged, smiling faintly. "Do be honest, I find you fascinating. Comes out of knowing my grandfather hates you. Anything he hates, I like to spite him."

Ray smiled. "Good to hear."

"Speaking of hearing," Kai looked toward Lee and frowned, blinking. "Is he _purring_?"

"Sure is." Ray chuckled, looking down at the teen in his lap and grinned. "Neko-jin purr when content. You just have to know how to rub us the right way."

"You've got that right." Lee opened his eyes and reached up to stroke Ray's cheek, Ray nuzzling his hand. "Out of curiosity, Kai, are you straight, gay, or bi?"

Kai shot him the death glare.

Feeling the heat, Lee looked toward him. "Reason I ask is because most straight guys feel awkward when they see two guys getting on. Both Ray and I are bi, which is why we're able to cover up our relationship so easily by checking out women. Apart from you, Gary's the only one who knows about us."

Kai snorted. "Gary…"

"Is rather good with secrets." Lee smiled faintly. "Want it to spread around, you tell Mariah. Want it to spread around and make it sound 20 times worse then it actually is, you tell Kevin." He looked up at Ray, who had by now begun to purr as well, eyes closed and a small smile on his lips. "If you were straight, we would not do anything in front of you if it made you feel uncomfortable."

Ray chuckled. "Like that thing at the door."

"No, it's fine." Kai crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. "I've seen worse."

"Okay." Lee looked up at Ray and smiled. "Just tell us if it ever gets a bit too much."

"Yeah. Whatever."

* * *

So now Kai knows. And why exactly was Lee asking about Kai's preferences? Hidden motive? Or was he really actually making sure Kai was fine with his and Ray's antics? Only time will tell, so stay tuned.


	9. Approaching Thunder

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9: Approaching Thunder

_TigerTerror_: The "I've seen worse" is something you'll have to guess, but I might chuck a further explanation into _Believe_

_Sarcasmcat_: You deem it worthy to be classed as a favourite? I'm honoured. #^_^#

_Saiyan-Chang:_ Well I _hope_ I see you too. I try hard to keep in in character, but it gets hard.

_Chain Gun:_ Everyone has a hidden agenda you know. :p

_sakura9566: _You're mean cause you blocked all your anonymous reviews, yet are too lazy to log in here. And longer review next time, or _I'll_ turn off the anonymous review. :p

_Rel_: I have the plot laid out before I start the fic in many cases. I'm going against that rule with _Believe_, and am regretting it 100%. Starting to lay out a plot now. *sigh*

_Ryu_Blader:_ I want them to jump him too, but I think he'd knock them senseless. *^_^*

_TigerRain_: I know who'll be dominate. You'll just have to guess as we go.

Has anyone else noticed that in V-Force they have Kai's and Tyson's eye colour backward? And that in G-Revolution, they've given Kevin yellow eyes instead of violet? Did they even _watch_ the first series when designing season two and three?

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Disclaimer: I _wish_ I owned Beyblade.

* * *

"Let it rip!"

Mariah smirked as Tyson's blade slammed down into the dish, aiming to cut Gary off and end the battle quickly. Gary was better then that though, jinking his blade hard and bringing it around behind the Blade Breakers', tailgating him. Tyson growled, dodging this way and that, trying to shake him off his tail, but Gary was on his every move, Galzzy every so often tapping against Dragoon to rub it in.

Glancing off to the side, Mariah brushed her hair from her eyes and smiled. "How long?"

"Ah…" Kevin glanced down at the timer. "Just over seven minutes now."

Mariah shifted in her position on the crate so she could look down at the two blades - Kevin's Galmon and her own Galux - as they spun without showing any sign of stopping. "We could just have a record here. What was Lee's time?"

"Almost ten minutes," Kevin leaned forward, fangs showing as he grinned. "I think those adjustments did the trick."

"I'll say." She picked at a bit of dirt under her nail as she frowned. "Kevin, about your battle against Steve-"

He groaned, pressing his hands over his ears. "I don't want to hear it, Mariah. I lost. Lee lectured me. Now drop it would you."

"If you care to remember, Lee lost too." Mariah arched her back, working out some of the dull aches. She noted Kenny watching her with his mouth open and realised that the movement might have appeared somewhat erotic to a male. Kevin wasn't effected though, which caused her to smile. Sometimes a friendship like theirs could be a good thing. "And though you may not want to hear it, your loss just goes to show that you need more practice."

Kevin pointed down at their blades. "Isn't that what we've been doing all day? Practicing so that we can improve." He stifled a yawn with the back of his hand as his shoulders drooped. "I'm beat."

"Yeah, well we're not going home until I'm satisfied that you've improved."

"Actually, Mariah, we'll be leaving in roughly quarter of an hour." They turned to look at Mr Dickenson as he approached, his eyes focused on the continuing battle between Tyson and Gary. "The drive back to the hotel _is_ fairly long, and by the look of the sky outside it appears we may just be in for a spot of bad weather."

Kevin sniggered, nodding toward Tyson and Kenny. "Yeah. The kids might get scared of a little lightening."

"Let me remind you that _you_ are still a kid, Kevin. Just because Tyson and Kenny are 13 and you are 14 doesn't make you any more mature then they are."

"Wanna bet?" He glanced down at the timer and grinned. "All right! Nine minutes. Lee's record is going to be toast if we keep it up."

"Well _I'm_ not stopping any time soon."

Mr Dickenson smiled at her unspoken challenge as he checked his watch. Yes, they had all made great progress that day, even if they _didn't_ realise it.

~~~~*~~~~ 

Kai reached out to pick up the bottle off the counter, forgetting about his injured arm until the pain shot through it, causing the bottle to slip from his grip and land with a thunk on the benchtop. He swore, grabbing his wrist and glaring at the bottle to the point that had it been glass, it would have shattered.

"A rather colourful vocabulary you got there, Kai. No one else could compare." Lee snapped the bit chip onto the top of his blade and stood, setting his launcher and shooting Galeon into the dish set up in the corner of the room. His satisfied smile vanished as the blade began to wobble, losing control and bouncing off the edge and into the air, barely missing Lee's head. He moved to pick it up, letting out a more detailed string of words with every step.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "You were saying?"

Ray choked on his drink.

Lee picked up Galeon and sighed, turning it over in his hand. Moving back toward the table, he pulled his box of parts toward him and picked up the screwdriver.

"Almost like the attack ring and defence ring aren't balancing right," Ray spoke up, wiping his mouth. "Maybe you should try and even them out."

"That's what I was doing." He tossed the attack ring aside and glared at it. "Ever since Michael trashed my blade in the finals, I haven't been able to get it right."

"Sure it's not the base?" Kai asked, perching himself on the edge of the counter, bowl of stewed apples in hand and glass of soft drink by his side. "You're still using the one from the battle, right?"

Lee picked up the base and looked at it. "Yeah."

"Is it cracked? Or even bent just a little?"

Lee stood, moving to stand beneath the bright light in the kitchen, closely inspecting the blade base. "Yeah, you're right. There's a small chip out of it near the top. Must be what's causing it to overbalance when it picks up speed." He moved back toward his case, pushing aside one of the levels and searching the contents. "I know I had… yeah." He pulled out a small container of filler and a tool, going about carefully repairing the damage.

Ray frowned, glancing up at the clock. "Shouldn't they be back by now?"

Lee looked up quickly. "Depends on what they were doing and the traffic out there. To be honest, I'm enjoying the peace."

"Let's ditch the brat pack more often," Kai said, closing his eyes and smiling faintly as he spooned in another mouthful.

"I don't know guys," Ray fidgeted. "I'm starting to get worried."

Lee put the lid back on the container and picked up the screwdriver, pointing it toward Ray. "You can't honestly tell me that you miss Kevin."

"Or Tyson," Kai added.

Lee looked at him. "I think Max managed three cupfuls of sugar this morning."

Kai head shot around sharply. "And you _let_ him?"

"I was otherwise distracted." Lee gently aligned his blade before pushing one of the screws back into its hole. "Mariah was getting me to run through a list of what the White Tigers needed to do at training. It was rather lengthy."

Ray snorted. "And detailed knowing you. So how many miles did they have to run today?"

Lee looked up at him. "I knew I forgot something."

Ray chuckled, crossing the room and dropping his hands onto the other teen's shoulders. "I'm sure you'll remember next time."

"Run a few miles?" Kai narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, a small smirk playing across his lips. "Hn."

* * *

The Blade Breakers just aren't going to know what hit them next training session. ^_^ 


	10. Storm Breaks

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10: Storm Breaks

_TigerRain:_ That's was it, but here's more. And I'm not telling you if it's a Kai/Ray/Lee... you'll just have to wait and see.

_TigerTerror_: Exactly. _Red_ eyes, nothing else. And yes, the storms important, as you'll see.

_sakura9566_: I was just teasing you, don't worry. And my home email is really long, hence why I don't use it. But at least I know where you're coming from.

_Neko Youkai aka Luna Malfoy_: Here I am! Updating! ^_^

For once, I have nothing other to say except to say thank you for the reviews and the support thus far.

****

Disclaimer: But then, we all wish that we owned Beyblade.

* * *

The group stepped through the corridors of the training centre, laughing and joking. Kevin and Mariah couldn't keep the grins from their faces, looking forward to bragging to Lee about their new record for endurance. Gary and Tyson had forgotten about their most recent match, now focused on deciding exactly what to eat once they got back to the hotel. Max was inspecting the latest improvements to his blade, Kenny in step beside Mr Dickenson trying to coax the latest blading information from the head of the BBA.

Mariah's eyes widened, her hands taping her pockets. "I've left my purse in the training room. I'll meet you on the bus, k?"

"Sure thing, Mariah," Kevin answered, watching as she turned and dashed back, before he slid up beside Max to find out what he had been doing all afternoon.

The sound of a scream spun them all around, Kevin's eyes widening. "Mariah!"

Tyson broke away from the others, leading the way back toward the training room and bursting in. Mariah was trapped against the crates, surrounded by a group of men who laughed and sniggered, occasionally reaching forward to touch or grab her, only to find their hands slapped away, one stumbling back as a punch caught him in the jaw.

Seeing the group at the door, one of the men scowled. "Get lost, twerps. We just want the neko-jin girl, not a fight, got that?"

Tyson stood his ground. "Want her for what, moron?"

The corner of the man's mouth turned upward. "Don't you know? There's quite a large market for neko-jin slaves, particularly female ones. This one's young and fresh and not bad to look at. Now, if you'll beat it-"

Kevin shoved his way passed the others, eyes flashing as his fangs caught in the light. "Get away from her, you _bastards_!"

"It's another one!" One of the men cried.

"Grab the girl," the leader called back. "Get her to the car-"

Kevin yowled in rage, taking several steps forward and launching himself into the air, planting his feet in the centre of the mans chest and sending him flying backward onto the ground. Kevin kept his momentum, launching himself at the next man, sending a closed fist into the man's jaw. Springing off the crates, Kevin launched himself with ease toward the men closest to Mariah, his speed catching the first in line and sending him into the man next to him, knocking them over like dominoes.

Mariah leapt over them, sprinting toward the others as Kevin landed on the highest of the crates, catlike eyes burning as he hissed, searching for his next target. Seeing that Mariah was safe, he smiled, preparing to launch himself over their heads to join her.

The sound of a gunshot cut through the air. Spinning, Mariah saw Kevin's eyes widen in surprise, her scream filling the closed space as he slowly begun to tumble toward the ground.

~~~~*~~~~ 

Ray gasped as he bolted upright, eyes wide as he stared into the dimness. The room brightened as lightening ripped across the sky, followed by the echoing crash of thunder that rolled on and bounced off the corners of the room. He blinked, struggling to regain his breath, trying to remember where he was.

"Not scared of a little thunder, are you Ray?"

"As if." Ray shot a look to the side to see Kai sitting cross-legged on his bed, book in his lap. "Just a bad dream, that's all." He looked toward the doorway. "Are they back yet?"

"They probably stopped somewhere to ride out the storm," Lee commented from where he stood at the window, looking out over the horizon. "It would have hit them first."

Kai smirked. "A day of peace, and a night to match. Too bad I ran out of Vodka."

"Pity about the Brandy," Lee agreed.

"Wish there was some of that wine left too." Ray looked from Lee to Kai and back. "We're going to have to stock up next time we go shopping."

Kai grunted his agreement, then growled as the sky exploded in a blaze of light and fading to reveal total darkness. He reached out, hitting the light switch a couple of times to discover his guess was correct. "Great."

"Time to sleep anyhow," Lee said, pulling the drapes closed and crossing toward his bed.

It didn't take them long to get ready for bed and slip between the sheets, the three young men lying still listening to the thunder and watching lightening as it crept around the edges of the fabric on the window, sometimes so bright that it seeped straight through it to cast long shadows upon the walls.

Lee shivered, pulling his sheets closer around him. "Jeez it got cold quick."

"Heating must have cut out," Kai commented. "Everything else did."

They lay in silence, the temperature of the room plunging quickly. A strange chattering filled the air. They ignored it for a while, before Kai growled in irritation.

"What's that?"

"My teeth," Ray admitted. "And I can't stop them."

"Here's a suggestion," Lee spoke up. "Bed sharing. That way the heat from our bodies will warm us up."

"Works for me," Ray replied.

"Hn. Then I get stuck with the sound of you two making out all night."

"Okay," Ray said, looking through the darkness toward the central bed. "You can sleep in the middle then, Kai."

"Whoever said I wanted any part of this?"

"You'd rather freeze?"

There was a pause, the temperature now at the point that their skin had begun to prickle. Kai growled. "Fine. But keep your hands to yourself. No reaching over me."

Ray and Lee slid from their beds and padded toward Kai's, Ray grabbing his pillow and Lee dragging the top sheet from his bed. The three teens rearranged Kai's bed, then climbed between the blankets, Kai in the middle and the two neko-jin on either side.

"Anyone who snores gets booted onto the floor," Kai told them flatly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We don't snore," Ray shot back. "We purr. And we can't help it."

Lee shifted, making sure not to get too close to Kai. "Good thing these beds are so big."

"Agreed." Ray rolled onto his side. "Night Lee. Kai."

"Night Ray," Lee replied.

"Yeah," Kai said softly as the room lit up with another flash. "Night."

* * *

One bed between three. Could get pretty cosy. And was all that with Kevin and Mariah just a dream? Add your guesses to the review and we'll find out.


	11. Daylight

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11: Daylight

_Sarcasmcat_: Thank you so much. Things are about to get moving, trust me.

_some weird person_: And who might you be, oh weird one? And bed sharing is _alway _good. :p

_TigerTerror_: Yes. _Very _cuddly. Have you ever noticed that if you place a heat source near a cat, the cat always ends up right by the heat source. And the answer to the Kevin & Mariah thing is the first part of this chapter.

_Platinum Re_i: Kai/Ray/Lee would be _very_ nice, but it all depends on how the characters want to go. ^_~

_sakura9566:_ You wish it were real? Well let's find out.

_TigerRain:_ You're starting to catch on. Just don't let the other readers know. ^_~ #^_^#

Yes, it's going to get angsty from now on. And Merry Christmas!

**Note:** At the end of this chapter is a link to the wonderful picture by Melanie, taken from the second part of this chapter. She captured the scene so well, so the pic is exactly as it is written, or should I say, we both visualised the same thing. Perfection of both our parts, I do believe. THANK YOU MELANIE!!!

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Disclaimer: Maybe they should create Beyblade shares.

* * *

The light began to peak at the corners of the sky, turning it a blood red. The storm had cleared away to reveal a crystal star-filled sky, but no one on the bus bothered to look. Mariah sniffed, eyes red from crying as she curled herself into a tighter ball on the back seat, Gary's large hand a small comfort on her shoulder as she cradled Kevin against her, gently caressing his face.

Those rich purple eyes looked up at her weakly, a small smile playing across his lips. "I went one step too far, didn't I?"

She shook her head, tears running down her cheeks. "You did the right thing, Kev."

He frowned. "Stop crying, Mariah. I hate it when you cry."

"T-They hurt you, Kev." Her eyes wandered toward his blood stained shirt. "They hurt you."

"Really? I didn't feel a thing."

"Stop it! Stop trying to make me feel better!" She choked back a sob, Gary's hand tightening its grip as he pulled her toward him. "I _know_ you felt it, Kev. I saw the look on your face. And when you fell…"

By now she was sobbing uncontrollably, Gary's arm tight around her protectively. Kevin reached out and caught one of her hands, entwining his fingers with hers and smiling with weak determination, faint fire still burning in his eyes. She smiled faintly as she felt his strong grip, tightening her own, feeling better for it. Kevin wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

The bus turned on the gravel road, the group losing sight of the sky as they entered the tunnel and ground to a halt. The door swung open, a man stepping onto the bus and letting his gaze sweep over them.

"I must protest to this treatment," Mr Dickenson said. "First you attack some of my bladers, then you bundle us on board with no explanation or telling us where we were going. And one of the boys needs urgent medical attention-"

"Enough!" The man shot a look down at Mr Dickenson. "It would be wise for you to keep your trap shut _Stan_, unless you want it shut permanently." He looked toward the man that had originally led the group. "Well?"

"Mission successful, Zika," he said. "Though we had to shoot one of the neko-jin."

Zika looked toward the back of the bus, spotting Kevin. "Pity you didn't kill him. Unsightly creatures." His eyes darted around, the frown deepening on his face. "Wait… where are the team leaders?"

The men exchanged a look, swallowing hard. "They… they weren't there, Zika. They never attended the training session. One of the neko-jin is missing too."

"Damn!" Zika slammed a fist down onto the back one of the seats. "They never skip training. Why did they have to start today?" He growled, then sighed. "Nothing we can do about that. If anything, we gained a wild card with Dickenson. He'll bring in more cash." He smiled faintly. "We now also know who to send the ransom demand too." He turned. "Get to it. Right now!"

~~~~*~~~~ 

The sun crept through the cracks in the drapes, brightening the room. Kai's eyes flickered open, crimson orbs staring up toward the ceiling as he noted the pleasant warmth to the air, indicating that sometime during the night the power and heating had been restabilised.

He frowned as he became aware of something that wasn't normal. Raising his head, he looked down the length of his body and raised an eyebrow. His left hand was lost among Ray's dark hair, Ray's head resting on Kai's stomach and one arm stretched across Kai and settled on Lee's leg. For his part, Lee was curled up against Kai with his head on his shoulder, one arm draped across Kai's chest. Kai blinked as he realised that his own arm was threaded around the neko-jin, pulling Lee closer.

Kai settled his head back against the soft pillows and closed his eyes, smiling faintly. They both looked so peaceful, so content that he expected them to start purring at any moment. He actually wanted to hear them purr, something he knew he had threatened them not to do. It fascinated him; _they_ fascinated him. He knew he should have been repulsed, not because they were neko-jin, but because they were male. But yet… yet it felt… it felt so-

The sound of the phone ringing caused him to sigh heavily. The trill quickly woke the neko-jin, Ray groaning as Lee growled, though neither made any move to leave. The phone persisted with its chimes for attention, echoing in the silence of the apartment.

"Someone really should answer that," Kai said aloud.

"Not moving," Ray muttered, squeezing his eyes closed. "Too comfy."

"It'll ring out," Lee agreed, arm tightening around Kai. "See, it's stopped."

The silence returned, Kai allowing himself to relax and close his eyes again. They shot open at the sound of a knock on the apartment door.

"If that's room service," Lee growled. "I'll _punch_ them, not _tip_ them."

"Can't we just let them knock themselves out?" Ray said.

Lee laughed softly, burying his head further into Kai's shoulder. "Literally, I hope."

The two neko-jin cried out in protest as Kai wriggled free and slid from the bed, moving barefoot across the room and to the door. Stepping out into the apartment, Kai noted that the others still hadn't returned. It had probably been Dickenson on the phone to tell them they would be back soon.

Unlocking the front door, he pulled it open and looked out into the corridor. He frowned, glancing around as he found no one in sight. His eyes dropped toward the ground and spotted the white envelope. Picking it up and closing the door, he turned it over in his hand, trying to find anything to suggest who it was from.

"What you got there?" Lee asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, tanned chest glowing softly from the light filtering in through the large windows and skylight as his hair fell about his face, making him appear roguish.

"Not entirely sure."

Kai found the back of the envelope open, pulling the folded paper free as Ray joined them as he ran a brush through his hair. He flipped it open, uneasiness coursing through him as he began to read.

"To the team leaders of the Blade Breakers and White Tigers. If you want to see your teammates again, then I suggest you round up $250 000 for each team member, and a further $400 000 for one Stanley Dickenson. If not, then I cannot guarantee their safety. Forward this message to the BBA as soon as you read it. You have one week. L Zika."

* * *

3 Blade Breakers + 3 White Tigers + Mr Dickenson = $1 900 000

Also, I commented that I would include the link to a certain picture by Melanie *worships* so here it is: level4chaos.goldenyaoihuggle.com/ Level1/Fanart/Beyblade/31.html

I had to put it in two parts to make it appear, so please put them together.


	12. Bad Boys Don't Cry

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12: Bad Boys Don't Cry

_sakura9566:_ Yes, Melanie's site is _very_ good. I worship her very much. #^_^#

_Sarcasmcat_: I'm well known for my cliffhangers

_TigerRain:_ I discovered how short the chapters were when I compiled this fic for Melanie. It's a problem that is being amended in _Believe_.

_TigerTerror:_ Three cats? Well, at least you'll be warm in winter. Pity about the leg room. :p I used to have a dog who did that, but she's been moved out to the shed. We got sick of her demanding to go out early in the morning.

_some weird person:_ The only thing that shares a bed with me is my _toy_ cat. Yes, I'm 19 and still sleep with toys. #^_^#

_Platinum Rei_: Kai pay to free Tyson? lol

Hmm. Their teammates are in danger, and I have a title called 'Bad Boys Don't Cry'. Now why would I do that? Also, I apologise for the lateness, but what with Christmas and my 19th birthday, I haven't been online.

****

Disclaimer: We'd all get rich off those shares, so popular is the sport becoming. A new Olympic event maybe?

* * *

Kai's eyes burned as he crumpled the letter in his hand. "Zika."

Lee looked at him, forcing himself to unclench his fists. "Know him?"

"Know _of _him. Laurence Zika owned a company that was a rival of my grandfathers. He declared himself bankrupt just over a month ago when the cops starting looking into him for suspicious dealings. He destroyed all his files before they could find anything."

"Sounds like he's trying to get back on his feet," Ray hissed, fangs glittering. "So what are we going to do about it?"

Kai looked down at the letter in his hand and frowned, holding it out to Lee. "Address it to the BBA. Mark it as urgent. Ray, start getting ready to go. It takes forever for you to put you hair up, so get started now."

"What are you going to do?" Lee asked, scooping up the envelope and smoothing out the paper of the letter.

Kai moved down the hall. "I have a phone call to make."

Lee frowned after him, glancing at Ray who shrugged, before moving toward the kitchen to find the pen that Mr Dickenson usually left on the counter with a notepad to write down anything that was needed when they went shopping. Glancing at the notepad as he picked up the pen, he smiled faintly as he saw the lengthy list. Tyson and Gary would be responsible for that… Gary…

Lee sighed, shaking it off. Letter first, worry later. Falling to pieces was not an option. Besides, they had been able to get through the Winton thing okay, so why should this episode with Zika be any different. He looked up as he heard Kai swear softly as he accidentally got his foot caught on the edge of the rug and almost went plummeting to the floor. The teen grabbed the phone, glancing quickly back at Lee before he punched in the numbers, listening to it ring.

"Hiwatari residence."

"André, its Kai."

"Ah, Master Kai. How goes your stay in America? Master Voltaire was coming to see you-"

"André, I need you to check the database for any information on Laurence Zika. I want to know if he owns any property around here."

"Just a moment sir, I will check."

Kai sighed, leaning against the wall and looking back toward Lee as the other finished addressing the envelope and put the letter back inside, running his tongue over the glue to moisten it before sticking it down. Kai couldn't help but wonder if the neko-jins tongues were like a real cats. What it would feel like to have it run over bare skin-

"Sir?"

He snapped back into reality. "Here, André. What did you find?"

"Laurence Zika owns a property not far from where you are staying, Master Kai. A few hours drive, but you must remember that when I say 'not far' I am referring to overall in the world."

"Can you give me the address?" Kai snagged the pen from the table and pulled the pad closer, the nib flying across the page as he took down the details. "Thank you, André. Don't expect to hear from me in a while."

"Of course, Master Kai. Is there anything you wish of me to tell your grandfather?"

"The one thing I would like to tell him would get us both killed, André."

"I know what you mean. Good luck with your mission, Master Kai. Please take care of yourself. And be safe."

Kai smiled as he hung up the phone. Somehow hearing the voice of the man who had been his father figure as well as his butler always made him feel better.

"Is that a smile I see?"

Kai turned toward the voice, spotting Ray as the other teen finished putting on his top. "You're probably still half asleep."

Ray raised an eyebrow as Kai stepped passed him and toward the bedroom, turning to follow the taller teen. "Probably."

Lee glanced up as the two entered, slipping on the last of his shoes before scooping his hairbrush off the bedside table. "So what was that phone call about?"

Kai held up the piece of paper. "The location of Laurence Zika's property."

Ray blinked, taking it from him and staring down at it. "How…"

"Let's just say having a grandfather with plans of world domination comes in handy at times." Kai pulled on his shoes, glancing toward the mirror and noting that he needed to top up his face paint. He shrugged; no time for that now. "I'd say it's about half a days travel away."

Lee, who had finished tying up his hair, slid up beside Ray and looked at the address. "How do you work _that_ out? If I'm not mistaken, it would take almost 12 hours or just under to get there."

Kai smirked, straightening. "Not if you speed."

Two pairs of cat-eyes settled upon him, Ray blinking. "And you intend to pay the cab driver _how_ much?"

Kai's smirk widened as he moved from the room, the other two following him and frowning as they watched him enter Mr Dickenson's room. Looking in the doorway, they spotted Kai searching through the draws, letting out a satisfied grunt as he plucked a something from the back.

Turning toward the pair, Kai dangled the keys from the end of his finger, crimson eyes sparkling as he grinned devilishly. "Up for a road trip?"

* * *

Vroom vroom.


	13. May Our Strength Remain

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13: May Our Strength Remain

Hey people. Thanks for all the reviews. It's good to be able to hear what you think about this story and where it is going. . You're allowed to guess, and when it's finished, we can go back and see who was the closest to being right. Unfortunately I have no time to reply to you all tonight, as I am sending in excerpts to a _Star Wars_ fan fic contest.

****

Disclaimer: Or how about a new fashion line? We could get Ray and Mariah to model the swim suits. Or maybe even Kai and Lee. Let's throw Erique in there too and have a fashion parade!

* * *

Tyson growled as he watched their captors move about. The sound of dripping water from the spring made him want to pee, but the only place to do that was a sunken hole in the back corner of the cage. Yes, a cage. Steel bars almost as thick as his wrist, a solid steel plate for a roof. The ground was rock save for where a couple of bales of hay had been thrown into the centre of the medium sized space. Their water came from that spring, and so far they hadn't been offered food. Even _animals_ were treated better then this.

He leant against the bars, looking down at the padlock. He had tried everything he could to get it unlocked, but nothing had worked. Perhaps if they had had Dizzi, they might have had a chance, but she, along with their beyblades, had been taken from them when they had first been captured and bundled onto the bus. They were helpless.

The air was cold, forcing him to pull his jacket tighter around him. He spotted Max sitting against one of the hay bales with his legs pulled into his chest and moved toward him. "You look cold."

"It's _freezing_ in here," Max hissed through clenched teeth. "They could've at least given us a blanket or something."

"These gentleman are quite inhumane," Mr Dickenson agreed. "I do wish I knew what it is that they were after."

"Same thing as everybody else," Tyson growled as he dropped down beside Max. "Money."

Kenny looked up from where he was polishing his glasses. "I still don't understand why it was so important for them to have our team captains."

"Lee and Kai two of the best bladers around," Gary spoke up. "BBA would want them back."

Kenny looked up. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Does it really matter?" Max said softly, curling tighter into a ball. "They got _us._ Kai, Ray, and Lee are safe back at the hotel. Probably enjoying the peace and quiet."

"I do believe this Zika fellow was going to send the ransom demand to those three," Mr Dickenson said, shivering as a cool breeze moved through the cavern.

Tyson's eyes widened. "Uh-oh."

Max looked at him sharply. "Please don't tell me you're thinking what I'm thinking."

Tyson pushed himself up, moving toward where Gary was settled in beside a sleeping Mariah, who was still cradling Kevin tightly to her. The younger neko-jins eyes slitted open as Tyson approached, a tired curiosity playing through the violet orbs. Tyson knelt beside them, looking quickly at Kevin with faint concern, before returning his attention to Gary.

"You know Lee, right?"

Gary nodded. "Our village is very close. Lee's mother looked after me before Lee was born."

"Woah, that's a long time." Tyson bit his lip. "If Lee gets the ransom note… what will he do?"

"He'll get mad," Gary answered.

Kevin laughed softly, eyelids fluttering closed. "He'll get even."

Max joined them, kneeling beside Tyson. "What do you mean 'he'll get even'?"

Kevin's eyes opened again, his fangs shining in the faint light. "Lee is the over-protective big brother of the group. He likes to make sure we're always okay, and hates it when we do something dangerous or will get us into trouble. It can get annoying at times." He sighed. "He doesn't like it when we get hurt or threatened. Once, when we were younger, some gang tried to hurt Mariah. Ray arrived in time to stop them and protected her, but got beaten badly in the process. When Lee found out, he hunted the gang down one by one and gave them a taste of their own medicine."

"Yeah, I remember that." Gary reached out and patted the top of Kevin's head. "Lee's a good fighter. Nobody messes with him."

Tyson scratched his nose, glancing around to see if anyone was close before leaning closer. "So you think that if Lee gets the ransom note, he'll come after you?"

Kevin nodded, reaching up to pat Gary's hand reassuringly. "And he'll be _really_ pissed off."

Kenny looked at Tyson from where he now knelt beside Max. "Why do you ask, Ty?"

"Think about it, Chief." Tyson looked at him. "Who _else_ do we know like that?"

Max's eyes widened. "Kai!"

"Exactly." Tyson nodded, scowling. "Every time we get ourselves into trouble, Kai is always there to pull us out of it. Remember the Winton thing? Kai was down for the count but was still able to come through when we _really_ needed him." Tyson lowered his eyes. "And if Lee and Kai come, then Ray will too. Remember what _he_ is like when he gets mad."

"Run for cover, Zika," Kevin laughed, then winced, one hand pressing against his wound.

Max looked around. "But how will they get in? Not through the front door, you saw how heavily guarded it was. Getting inside will be impossible."

"I have no idea." Tyson let his gaze sweep the interior of the cavern. The complex had been built into a mountain, and the room they were in seemed to be a large well-lit cave. Red stone walls stretched up toward the high ceiling except for where corridors and small rooms had been built into them, the farthermost wall from the cage untouched, it's top lost in darkness. Finding a way in seemed impossible.

Tyson turned back to the group. "You know Kai; he invented the word 'possible'."

* * *

So how _will_ the bad boys get in, if they get there at all? We'll just have to wait and see… In the meantime, how about a review?


	14. Burning Rubber

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14: Burning Rubber

_Sarcasmcat:_ I'm so happy you think so. ^_^

_MoonDargon_1001_: Thank you!

_Ms Hobgoblin_: I hope you continue to like it... and continue to review it! :p

_TigerTerror_: Lol. I told my sister what she said and she agreed with you. Pity I've already finished writing this... but then, who says Kai won't do that to a bad guy _later_ in the series. ~_^

_TigerRain:_ I'd say Ray would be worse than Kai and Lee. Just takes more to get him mad. And yes, Kai/Ray/Lee in this chapter, as the title indicates

_Imari:_ You certainly change your name a lot. :p

_the tigris_: Has no one been updating? Perhaps they are all away for the holidays.

Well, the last chapter set up the impossible at the end of the journey, so let's see what our boys are up too. Oh, and this is one of my fave chappies from this story. You'll see why. *^_^*

****

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I still do not own Beyblade

* * *

"Could you slow down? Just a little?"

"Why?" Lee laughed, knitting his fingers behind his head as he leant back in passenger seat. "This is fun!"

Ray growled at his lover. "This is suicide!"

"Which is what _makes_ it fun." Lee glanced at their driver. "Pedal to the metal, Phoenix. Open her right up."

Kai sniggered, complying. Ray bit back a cry as he was thrown back in his seat, the scenery nothing more then a blur as the careered down the highway, Kai expertly weaving them around the traffic and making Ray wonder how often the Russian had done this.

"What's the matter, Kon?" Kai asked, glancing in the rear-view mirror. "Haven't you ever lived on the edge?"

"On the edge of a village, which is quite enough for me."

"Don't trust me to get you there in one piece?"

"One _unscathed_ piece would be fine."

Kai nodded, then smirked. "Hey, Kon."

Ray looked toward him. "Yeah?"

"No hands."

Ray felt his stomach flip as Kai released the wheel, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back. Lee roared with laughter, obviously loving every minute of it, pure pleasure burning in his eyes as he looked ahead eagerly toward the fast approaching bend. Ray also spotted it; his breath quickening as his heart thudded in his ears, images of flying off the road to their death playing through his mind. With every passing moment, it grew closer, closer…

__

Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit shit shit shit shit. Ray closed his eyes, holding his breath and waiting for the sound of the impact. Instead all he heard was laughter; Lee's… and someone else's…

Ray opened his eyes to see that they were still on the road, Kai's hands once more on the wheel having navigated the bend so smoothly Ray hadn't even felt the car take it. He growled as the two teens laughed, Kai's laugh reminding Ray of the laugh all the evil twisted villains had in the horror movies. Somehow it was exactly how he had always imagined Kai's laugh to be.

"You're insane!"

Kai glanced at him in the mirror. "Yes. I am."

"Oh, come on Tiger," Lee said, twisting in his seat to look back at him, grinning from ear to ear. "How often do we get to do something fun, hmm? Sure our elders won't approve, but that's the whole point of it."

"Shut up, Lee." Ray glared at him for a moment, then looked away. "If you both want to kill yourself, then fine. Just leave me out of it."

Lee shrugged, turning back to the front and looking at Kai. "You've driven a race car, haven't you."

Kai smiled faintly. "Once or twice."

Lee raised an eyebrow. "Got a license?"

"Maybe."

"You haven't lost it yet?"

"I'm rich." Kai glanced sideways at Lee and winked. "The law can't touch me."

Hearing a noise, Lee glanced behind him and out the back window. "That must come in handy."

"At times." Kai frowned, looking in the rear-view mirror quickly, then taking a second look. "Such as now."

Ray's eyes widened as he swung around in his seat. "Oh crap. Um, Kai… police…"

The car picked up speed. "I'd like to see them try and catch me."

Lee chuckled, looking at the driver. "Never get to do _this_ back home. Burn 'em."

Ray blinked. "Um… shouldn't we stop? I mean, they could shoot out the back window…"

Kai shrugged. "Not _my_ car."

Ray glared at the back of his head. "I'm sure Mr Dickenson would be thrilled to hear that."

"Oh relax, Tiger." Lee settled back into his seat. "Just hang on and enjoy the ride. Stop being such a goody-two-shoes."

Hearing only silence, Kai frowned and glanced in the mirror to see Ray unfasten his seat belt and slid forward, one arm snaking around the back of the passenger seat to tighten around it's occupants throat. Kai chuckled as Lee's eyes flew open, the elder of the neko-jins hands flying up to try and pry the arm from it's strangle hold.

Turning back to the road, Kai smirked. "Feisty."

* * *

To be continued…


	15. Lovers Tiff

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15: Lovers Tiff

_TigerRain_: I have plans for Ray, don't worry.

_Ms Hobgoblin_: You're going to be very happy: this continues!!!

_the tigris_: Yes, you've got to feel for Ray. Don't blame him for strangling Lee. ^_^;;

_Sarcasmcat_: Short and too the point. But thanks!

_Imari_: Kai driving like a maniac? Don't worry, you'll see it again. I'm bound to write more scenes like it. And not necessarily in this chapter.

_Platinum Rei_: I have my licence, but I don't drive like that. Can't afford to lose it. Therefore, I wait til I hit the highway before doing the fast pace... within the limit. :p

_NEKO-me_: Heh heh. TigerRain suggested something similar. But like I said: I have plans for Ray. In fact, I have plans for every one of the neko-jin: they shall each have a special talent. ^_~

_TigerTerro_r: ^_^ You can get away with it! I can't. I'd get booked and have my licence removed. _

_Dawn35_: The wait is over!!!

If you were hoping I would take this back to the captured group, then I'm sorry to disappoint. If you were hoping for more Kai/Ray/Lee, then you're going to love me.

****

Disclaimer: I can pretend I own Beyblade…

* * *

"You can't keep this up forever." Kai straightened his sunglasses, glancing first to the side, then in the rear-view mirror. "One of you will break, eventually."

Neither neko-jin answered, Lee glaring out the front window while Ray stared off the side, both scowling. They had been like that for the last few hours, neither speaking to the other, not even tossing a glance in their other halves direction. Kai rolled his eyes and shook his head, sighing. _Great. Lovers tiff. Just what I needed._

He took his hand off the wheel, rotating his wrist, trying to loosen it up. He wasn't one to bring up the fact that he was in pain, and the others were too busy sulking to even notice. Kai scowled, staring at the road ahead, the setting sun bright behind the darkened lenses. 

They had left the police in their dust long ago, Kai having taken a couple of shortcuts, one through a forest in order to throw off the chopper after he had lost sight of a string of pursuit cars. They may have the advance training skills, but the police didn't have the iron gut determination he had when he was on a mission.

The silence was starting to get to him. Normally, Kai didn't mind silence. In fact, he loved it, but now it was starting to make him uncomfortable. He shot another look out the corner of his eye toward Lee, who hadn't moved since the fight. Kai had to admit that Lee's punch had been perfect, Ray falling back in stunned surprise and shock, finally releasing his strangle hold. Since then, neither had moved. 

If anything, Kai had really been expecting Ray to cry, but the younger of the neko-jin had proven himself stronger, settling for the silent treatment, which Lee generously returned. And it was that silent treatment that was starting to drive Kai mad.

"Look guys, if one of you doesn't start talking, then I'm going to throw you both off the next bridge!"

No answer.

"All right, that's _it_!"

Kai slammed on the breaks, the neko-jin both giving sharp barks of surprise as they were thrown hard against their restraints. Kai threw open his door, moving around the car and opening Lee's door, grabbing the teen by the ear and dragging him out, then opening Ray's door and doing the same. The two neko-jin protested as Kai dragged them onto the embankment and pushed them in front of him.

"I've had it up to here with your immaturity!" Kai said, voice raised. "I don't know what your problem is, but it ends right here, right now. In case you've forgotten, we have our teammates to save, and your sulking is not helping matters. So would you two just grow up!"

Ray pointed at Lee. "You heard what he said to me-"

"What? So it's _my_ fault now?" Lee glared at him. "I just strangled myself, then?"

"If you hadn't called me a goody-two-shoes-"

"Well if you tried to get a life-"

"At least I care for my own personal safety-"

"Whimpering like a baby-"

Ray hissed, lunging himself at Lee. Kai stepped forward, placing himself between them and holding Ray back as Lee continued to taunt the other. Kai growled.

"That's enough, Yin."

Lee crossed his arms. "Oh come on, Hiwatari. Let him go. Let him try a take a girlie swing at me-"

He was cut off as Kai's backhanded slap caught him across the face and sent him plunging to the ground. Moment's later Ray joined him, holding his own face as he stared up at the Russian, who glared down at them, arms crossed over his chest.

"You deserved that, the both of you," Kai said, voice low and menacing. "And if you continue with your stubbornness, then I'll do it again. Hell, you two are worse then Tyson and Kevin!"

Lee narrowed his eyes. "What gives you the right-"

"Right now, I am the only adult around."

"I'm older then you, Phoenix."

"Are you? And here I thought you were three."

Ray sighed, tucking his legs under himself as he looked up at Kai. "You're not going to let us leave until we say sorry, are you?"

Kai's glare was answer enough.

Ray shrugged. "Fine." He turned toward Lee. "Sorry, Lion. I'm just worked up about it all, that's all."

Lee sighed, meeting his gaze. "Same. Sorry, Tiger." He nodded to the side, voice dropping so only Ray could hear him. "We really should do something about him hitting us, shouldn't we."

Ray smirked. "Raincheck."

Lee nodded, pushing himself up, then offering Ray a hand up, which the other took. Kai nodded and gave a satisfied grunt, moving back toward the car. Ray stepped into Lee's arms, hugging him tightly.

"Sorry about strangling you."

"Sorry for _punching_ you." Lee pulled back to look at Ray's face. "How's the jaw, anyway?"

"Your awkward angle took some of the strength out of it. It was more the fact it came out of nowhere then anything."

Kai rolled down the window and looked toward them. "Anytime, ladies."

They kissed gently, moving arm in arm back toward the car, smiling quickly at each other before they slid into their respective seats. As soon as they closed the door Kai planted the boot, slamming them back against their seats as they started off once again.

Lee glared at him as he pulled on his belt. "You really are Mr Sensitive, you know."

Kai smiled faintly. "I try."

* * *

Boy it was fun writing that one. ^_^


	16. Echo

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16: Echo

_TigerRain_: The chapters will remain this length for the remainder of the story. However, it is something I have taken note of and corrected in my other stories...

_crystalwish_: Thank you!

_Imari:_ Ray and Lee _are_ together, yes. And they want _Kai_ together too. :p

_Dawn35_: Thanks for continuing to read!

_TigerTerror_: They were fighting like bitches, so he slapped them like one. Kai bitch slapped them! ^_^;;

Last two chapters K/R/L, and now its back to the others

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Disclaimer: I'm very good a fiction… then again, this _is_ a fictional story, so that's kinda blatantly obvious

* * *

"Hey, anyone out there?"

Silence.

"Hello, I'm kinda getting hungry. When are you guys planning to feed us?"

Silence.

"Yo bozzo's, I'm beginning to get pissed off."

Silence.

"AARRRGGGHHHH!!!"

Tyson turned and leaned against the bars of the cage, anger simmering through him. It had been over a day since he had last eaten, and he was starting to feel weak and grumpy. Gary was the same, the White Tiger's stomach sounding like a _real _bear as it growled, followed by Gary's apology.

Mariah sighed, looking toward the doorway that the last of their captors had disappeared through. "I don't think they're planning to feed us at all."

"They would have to feed us," Kenny spoke up. "The human body can only last-"

"I don't really want to hear it, Chief," Tyson cut in. "_This_ body wants food, and wants it _now_!" He swung back around. "GIVE ME FOOOOOOOD!"

Mariah sighed, looking toward Max. "Is he always like this?"

"Mm-hmm." Max's eyes moved toward Tyson. "Actually, he's normally a lot worse. The lack of food must have made him weaken."

Kenny smiled. "And for once, Max, you're not on a sugar high."

"I don't eat _that_ much sugar. I'm just naturally sweet, that's all."

Tyson rolled his eyes. "Oh please."

Mariah smiled faintly. Sometimes the Blade Breakers reminded her of the White Tigers. Lee and Kevin always seemed to be at each other's throats though a deep respect was held between them. She was the one who often had to step in and calm them down while Gary stuffed his face, and when Ray was with them, he would sit back and laugh until he helped her end the quarrel. Yes, just like the Blade Breakers.

Looking down at the sleeping Kevin, Mariah reached out and carefully pulled his hair free of its tie, letting her fingers run through it to gently, working out the small knots. She smiled faintly, remembering how, when they were younger, she had talked him into being her test subject with makeup and hairstyles. Two years her junior, Kevin had thought it great fun, but then he had grown up. Not that she minded.

The sound of approaching steps caused her to look up. Tyson backed away from the bars at the sign of the gun, the man not saying a word as he unlocked a small panel at the bottom of the door and slid in the tray. Locking it again, he turned and moved away to be lost once more in the shadows.

Tyson approached the tray cautiously, inspecting the contents. "Almost looks like watered down breadcrumbs."

Kenny joined him, sampling a portion. "That's because it _is_ watered down breadcrumbs, with honey. Just enough to give us the right balance of nutrients for us to survive."

"Well at least they don't intend for us to starve," Mr Dickenson commented, looking over the tray. "We should try and divide it equally."

"You and Gary will need more," Kenny pointed out. "You both have bigger frames then us, and will therefore need more nourishment."

"I don't need much," Mariah spoke up. "I was never much of an eater anyway."

"Same," Max agreed.

"Nevertheless, you will still need to eat." Kenny set about dividing up the portions into the small paper bowls. "And you'll get the same as everyone else, Tyson."

Mariah tuned out of Tyson's protesting, looking down at the sleeping form in her arms. Caressing his cheek gently, she sighed. "Kevin. Time to get up." He didn't move. "Kevin Ki, if you don't wake up, I'll trash Galmon." Still no reaction. "Kevin?"

Gary glanced back at her from where he had joined the others, frowning. Moving toward her, he knelt down and patted Kevin's head. "Wake up, Monkey. Dinner time. I'll eat all yours if you don't get up."

To Mariah's relief Kevin's eyelids fluttered, then opened. He looked up at them and smiled. "Hi Bear, Mountain Cat."

"Hi Monkey." Mariah smiled warmly at him. "Dinner time."

"They're feeding us?" Kevin allowed them to help him sit up, resting back against the hay with Mariah on one side, Gary on the other. "Guess they really _do_ want us alive then."

"Wouldn't call it food," Tyson said, holding out a bowl for Kevin. "Here you go, buddy."

"Thanks." Kevin took it, sampling it and smiling. "Tastes like that porridge Mariah made us once."

Mariah felt her cheeks warm at the memory of her experiment gone wrong. "You had to bring _that_ up. Besides, Gary liked it."

"Gary likes _anything_ edible." Kevin pulled a face as he ate a bit more. "Honey, right?"

Mariah sampled her own. "Tastes like it." She looked down at him. "Eat it, Kev. I know you don't like honey, but eat it anyway. Or else I'll get Gary to sit on you while I shove it down your throat."

"I'd be a pancake if Gary sat on me." Kevin looked up at Gary and smiled. "No offence, Gaz. It's just that you're big, and I'm a midget."

"None taken," Gary told him between shovelling the food into his mouth.

They continued to eat, Tyson looking around to see if any of the others decided they'd had enough so he could pinch it. Gary was no better, watching Mariah and Kevin knowing they would hand him their bowls once they were sick of it. Max simply sat and stared at Kevin, who, at first, ignored him before he finally became too much.

"What?"

Max blinked, looking down at his bowl. "You look… different. With your hair out I mean."

Kevin's hand flew to his head, noticing that his hair was out for the first time. He sighed, glancing to his left. "Mariah."

She smiled, feeling her cheeks warm as she looked down at her bowl. "I couldn't help it. You know what I'm like with hair."

"Well you're not platting it this time."

Mariah nodded, eating another mouthful so not to answer. She noted that Max was staring at Kevin again and frowned, looking down at him. She tilted her head, trying to see what it was the fascinated the American… and then she realised. She was still seeing Kevin as the little boy she had helped look after as they had grown up. Gary's annoying little cousin who was always so eager to please, yet at the same time recklessly brave and determined.

But he wasn't that kid anymore, just as she wasn't a little girl. Mariah could already see that at even at 14, Kevin had the makings of becoming a handsome young man. He would never be the drop dead gorgeous guy like Ray was, but more the roguish young man who still manages to catch your eye, like Lee. Kevin was at the age where the changes started, and she could already see it in his face and eyes. Kevin was - if you looked at him the right way - cute. Especially with his hair down.

Narrowing her eyes, Mariah looked toward Max, wondering if he had noticed said 'cuteness' as well. Or if perhaps it really was an honest fascination at seeing Kevin with his hair down. Kinda like when they had first seen Lee with _his_ hair down. It made them look different.

Finishing her small meal, Mariah glanced once more at Max, fighting the urge to move closer to Kevin. Why did she feel so protective of the young neko-jin all of a sudden? Probably because he was hurt, that's all. She wouldn't allow anyone to hurt him again.

She reached out and let her fingers run through his hair. He glanced at her quickly and rolled his eyes, causing her to smile. Hurt or not, Kevin would always be Kevin.

* * *

Mariah thinks Kevin's cute? Just a general observation, or is there more to it? And what's with Max's staring?


	17. Over the Hills and Far Away

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17: Over the Hills and Far Away…

_TigerTerror:_ Chapters with Kai and Ray? You mean like this one? :p 

_bmw:_ I think Max was created as a pseudo-gay character, which pop up everywhere in anime. That's why he's often made one in fan fics. Besides, I have plans... 

_Dawn35:_ Oh yes. Lotsa action. *^_^* 

_Imari:_ The ages of the characters are in the opening notes of this fic, though the next fic will see a couple of birthdays and therefore age changes. In terms of the White Tigers: Gary - 18; Lee - 17; Mariah - 16; and Kevin - 14 

I'll admit that I like Kevin as a character. You can do so much with him without pushing it too far from his characterisation in the series. That, and there are no other characters like him. Plus, the White Tigers are just plain cool. ^_^ 

****

Disclaimer: But fictional or not, they're still not mine.

* * *

The car slowed, bringing Ray's head up to look around at their surroundings. Much of it was obscured by the fast approaching darkness, but he could still make out the outline of the hills. Kai turned the car off the highway, bringing them onto a dirt track that threaded it's way into the rises, a small craggy group of canyons and mountains ahead of them, still glowing a faint reddy-pink in the dusk.

Lee stretched, joints cracking faintly with the movement. "Finally."

"Don't get too eager," Kai said, glancing quickly to the side. "We've still got a while yet."

Ray sighed, trying to stretch out his legs in the confined space, wishing he could walk around. "You're not planning on using the front door, are you?"

Kai grunted. "There is a back entrance. It existed before the complex was built. We'll go that way."

"Are you planning on driving in?"

Kai frowned, staring ahead. "You say you're village is amongst the mountains."

Lee glanced at him. "Yeah, so?"

"So you're used to the rocky terrain."

"Neko-jins are _born_ for the rocky terrain."

"Hn."

Ray watched the back of Kai's head, narrowing his eyes. "You're going over the mountain."

"Actually, we're going _through_ the mountain."

Lee blinked. "Say what?"

"Like I said, the back entrance has been around since before the complex was built. The complex itself it situated within the largest mountain ahead of us, and part of it is set within a large cavern which was probably an underwater lake at some point or another."

"Oh I get it," Lee said, nodding. "Where there is a lake, there is often a river."

Kai smirked. "Exactly. The network of caves that were once the river have been subject to rockslides and earthquakes over the years, making them dangerous to move through. Zika would assume that no one would be stupid enough to try and enter the complex _that_ way."

"Nobody but us, you mean," Ray said with a smile. The smile faded. "What if there are guards in the caves? What then?"

"We deal with them. Quietly if we can, but if not…" Kai reached into his pocket, pulling free the small black object and holding it up for inspection. "You didn't think I'd come unarmed, did you Ray?"

Ray shook his head, settling back in his seat. "That's fine for you, but what about me and Lee? We can only defend ourselves so far, and we have no weapons."

"Actually Ray…" Lee reached into the secret pouch behind his back, pulling the gun free. "I haven't been weaponless for years. Just can't take it into the bey stadium, that's all."

Ray's eyes flared, glaring at his lover. "Where did you get that?"

"Dad gave it to me. When I was 11." Lee sighed, letting his fingers trail over the polished black metal. "After what happened to my brother, he thought it was important that I should learn to defend myself in more ways then just the martial arts. The reason I never told you about it is because I swore that I would never mention it to anyone, as it would eventually work it's way back to Mum, and she _hates_ the things. Calls them the black demons."

"Black demons." Kai smiled faintly. "Has a ring to it."

Ray undid his seatbelt, sliding forward to lean over Lee's shoulder, looking down at the weapon. "How come I've never noticed it before? I've had plenty of opportunities too."

"I usually hid it when those situations arose, then retrieved it later, though it was always close on hand." He smirked. "I put it in your bag on one occasion, and you never even noticed it."

Ray glared at him, then weakened when Lee shot him the hurt kitten look. Smiling, Ray reached forward to caress Lee's cheek. "Even after all these years, you still surprise me, Lion." He looked toward Kai. "So how long until we get there?"

"Actually, we're here."

The car slowed, Kai turning the wheel and bringing them carefully up into a small cave entrance, parking the vehicle just inside. Even as Kai turned off the motor, Lee and Ray were out of the car, stretching and moving about, trying to work the cramps out of their limbs. Kai slowly moved to join them, the back of Ray's mind flashing with remembrance.

"Shit Kai, I forgot you were hurt." Ray hurried to his side, taking Kai's arm and looking down at it. "Man, this has swollen up a treat. You shouldn't have driven for so long-"

"No pain, no gain." Kai pulled his arm from Ray's grasp, glancing around them. "I don't know about you two, but let's stay here tonight. I'm not really up for much but a good rest after all that driving."

"Yeah, you look beat." Lee glanced at the car. "Back seat, Ray?"

Ray smirked. "There is so much you can work into that."

"I think that was the point." Kai stretched, rotating his neck. "Good thing the cars an auto. Means I don't have to worry so much about the gear shift." He shot a look at them. "And we leave as soon as the suns up, understand? So get some sleep."

Lee rolled his eyes as he stepped passed the Russian. "Yes Mother."

* * *

They get to sleep in the car, while the others sleep on a pile of hay. Bet they're all looking forward to when this is over so they can once again sleep in their nice comfy beds. Feel free to review and comment.


	18. The Quest Begins

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18: The Quest Begins

_TigerRain_: Trust me. I have something for Ray. But it's going to be a surprise. ^_~

_Sarcasmcat_: Thank you

_Chibi Chaos Sama_: I know he is! I'm glad you agree! By and by, did you read _Eclipse_ too?

_Ms Hobgoblin_: I hope it continues to go well ^_^;;

_Imari_: And now this chapter happens. :p

_bmw_: ???

_TigerTerror_: Sometimes clichés cannot be avoided. -_-;;

I hope to see the end of the use of the word 'yaoi'. Yaoi is actually the acronym of the phrase _yama nashi, ocji nashi, imi nashi_, which means in English "Without climax, without resolution, without meaning," or "no highs, no lows, no point". It's actually rather insulting toward the gay relationships, so you won't find me using it. This, of course, is why I say _shonen ai_ or "boy love" instead.

'Yuri' isn't insulting that I know of, and where it came from is unknown, but the other term for it is _shojo ai_ or "girl love", which is what I will be using. Hope to see people follow in my footsteps.

****

Disclaimer: I wish they were mine. The fun I would have…

* * *

Kai's crimson eyes slitted open, faint light flowing in from the entrance to the cave. He grunted, trying to find a more comfortable position in the cramp confines of the car. Sometimes being so tall could be a curse, and the fact that he was still growing didn't improve on the situation. His muscles screamed out to be stretched, his chest burning where his grandfather had struck him with the steel knob of his cane. And Kai wasn't even going to think about his arm…

Sighing, he pushed himself up, glancing toward the back seat as he did so. Lee and Ray were still asleep, curled up in each others arms, fairing no better in the small interior of the vehicle. They were both shorter than Kai, but the two 17-year-olds were still tall for their age. Kai remembered reading somewhere that the neko-jin were known for their height, which meant the boys still had a lot of growing to do. Kevin was a runt in terms of his race, but he would grow. And quickly.

Running a hand through his hair to straighten it, Kai glanced in the rear-vision mirror and noted that his face paint had almost worn off. He didn't have anymore with him, which left just one option. Digging in his pocket, Kai pulled out a handkerchief, rubbing it against the marks. In a matter of minutes the last of the blue was gone, leaving Kai to stare at his naked cheeks and raise an eyebrow. It had been so long since he had been without them, but the situation called for it. He seemed more innocent without them. He smirked. But then, just maybe, that could be a _good_ thing.

Hearing a soft mutter, Kai glanced back and noted that Ray was in the process of waking up. He was surprised the neko-jin could wake up at all, considering what time the two had actually fallen asleep. Kai had lain in the darkness, scowling as he listened to the two exchange kisses. It hadn't gone anything beyond that, showing that the two were able to remember that they weren't alone in the car. Kai smiled faintly: well at least they weren't fighting.

The thing that unnerved Kai was the fact that listening to them had stirred something inside of him. Exactly what, he didn't know, as he was unable to put a finger on it. Perhaps it was the fact that in all his life Kai had never experienced love. Well, maybe that was not true. André and Maree, his nanny, loved and treated him like a son, and to him they were the parents he had never known. But that was family love, not the pure love of one to another, such as the love shared by Lee and Ray. Of that sort of love he had never experienced.

Opening the door of the car, he slid out and stood, straightening his tall, lanky form and stretching out his limbs, listening to them crack in protest. He frowned, glancing into the back seat and noticing that Ray's catlike orbs were now partly open, though not quite awake. Kai had never really thought about relationships until the revelation of Lee and Ray's relationship. He couldn't understand what it was about it that made his mind drift along this path, especially since the relationship of the two neko-jin was of a homosexual nature, and Kai was hetro…

Kai shuddered, noting the coolness to the air for the first time. For some reason, his thoughts of being hetro didn't seem as strong as they had once been. His frown deepened. It was probably because he was still half-asleep. His mind wasn't working properly, not yet awake. Yes, that was it.

Hearing his name, Kai moved back toward the car, leaning in the door and looking down at the back seat. "I'm still here."

Ray looked at him, blinking and rubbing his eyes. "Thought you'd nicked off."

"Hn." Kai straightened and looked around the interior of the cave, noting the endless darkness on the path that lead away from the entrance. "Wake up the Lion. I want to get moving."

"Yeah. Sure."

Kai reached into the car and retrieved the keys, moving around to the back and opening the boot. Before they had left they had thrown together a couple of bags of food and drink. Kai had also insisted on torches, the two teasing him for being afraid of the dark. Perhaps now they would understand why he had brought them. Kai? Afraid of the dark? Yeah. Whatever.

Retrieving the items and setting them on the cave floor, he heard one of the doors open and knew that the others were finally getting up. He reached in over the back, snagging the last backpack and tossing it onto the pile; their blankets. Spotting a movement out of the corner of his eye, Kai glanced to the side and spotted a curious Lee watching him. Kai paid him no mind, closing the boot and slipping the keys into his pocket, then moving to sort through the items.

He saw Lee look at him, then blink and rub his eyes much like Ray had. Kai frowned, ready to ask Lee what the hell was the matter with him, but the elder teen beat him to it.

"What happened to the blue marks?"

Kai didn't bother to look up. "I rubbed them off."

"How come?"

"They were coming off anyway, so I decided to finish the job. Got a problem with that?"

"No… just makes you look different, that's all."

"Makes you look younger," Ray agreed, leaning up against Lee as he watched Kai. Ray cocked his head to the side, smiling. "Cuter."

Kai bit back a smirk as Lee drove his elbow back into the other. _What's the matter, Yin? Scared of a little competition?_ Kai blinked. Woah, where had that come from? He shook it off, picking up a pack and tossing it at Lee, who caught it easily, stepping aside as the second pack caught the unexpecting Ray full on the chest. Kai scowled as he stood, hoisting one of the food packs onto his back and scooping up his torch. God damned neko-jin, why did they all have to be so good looking?

"C'mon, let's go."

Lee and Ray exchanged a look as Kai stalked away, Lee nodding after him with an unspoken question on his face. Ray simply sighed and shook his head.

"He does it all the time," Ray said softly. "He's just a no-fun, all-work, never smiles, sourpuss."

"I heard that."

* * *

Kai's thoughts are starting to lead him astray. Hee hee hee…


	19. Into the Darkness

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19: Into the Darkness

_Rel_: Yes, keep an eye on Kai's thoughts. As for the little debate, what I said came from a book on anime. It is in regards to not only the style but warning that m/m takes place, and therefore links itself to the m/m itself. I still refuse to use it. Anyway, shonen ai has a much nicer sound to it.

_the tigris_: Yep. And someone is very much in denial.

_Ms Hobgoblin_: Well here's the next bit.

_TigerRain_: I'll arrange your funeral. :p

_Imari_: Here's the next chapter. 

_Chibi Chaos Sama_: Oh yes. Hot, cute, non-triangle Kai for the remainder of this fic. ^_^

I gave you a lecture last time around, so this time I will just say thanks for the reviews…

****

Disclaimer: I can't list the fun though. I would blush a little too much. ^-^'

* * *

The beams of light pierced the shroud, reflecting off small droplets of water and small stones. The air had taken on a crisp coolness, biting into their bare skin. Lee pulled his vest closed with his free hand, wishing he had grab a jacket or something before they had left. Too late for that now, and thinking about it only made things worse.

Ray noted Lee's discomfort, moving toward him and looping his arm through his lovers. "You should have grabbed a jacket."

"I was just thinking that." Lee glanced up toward the teen picking his way through the rocky maze in front of them. "Of course, if _somebody_ had _mentioned_ that we would be moving through ice-cold caverns, I might have grabbed a shirt _as well_ as the jacket."

Ray smiled, looking at the other in the faint light. "I don't really mind. You may be cold, but I still get to look at that chest."

Lee looked at Ray out of the corner of narrowed eyes. Kai, who had glanced back to see Lee's reaction to Ray's statement, turned away so to hide his smile.

"So exactly how far do we have to go, Phoenix?" Lee asked, widening his step as they moved over the loose stones of the path. "Better yet, do you know which way to go should we come to a crossroad?"

"I know where I'm going," Kai replied, shifting his pack, trying to even out the weight. "And three days."

"That's cutting it fine, Kai," Ray said. "We only have a week, remember? And we've already spent one day getting here." He narrowed his eyes. "And we _will_ be stopping to rest and sleep."

"In that case, four days or just over." Kai looked back, pausing on the top of a small rise. "Never realised you two were so unfit."

"I'll give you unfit." Lee glared at him as he joined him at the top. "It's simply logic, Hiwatari. If we don't stop to rest and eat, out bodies will wear down, meaning that by the time we get to the others, we won't be in top fighting form. Otherwords, your aim will be shit, meaning you won't be able to pull off another dead shot like the one you did on Winton."

"You seem to forget I had almost bled to death when I took out Winton." Kai bowed his head. "All right, I'll admit you have a point. We'll stop, but keep in mind we have a deadline to meet."

"As if we could forget." Ray let his torchlight scan their surroundings. "This place is kinda pretty… in a dreary sort of way."

"Reminds me of home," Kai said with a smile, leading the way off again.

Lee narrowed his eyes curiously, following him. "So what _is_ your home like? Country estate? Penthouse?"

"Mansion," Kai answered. "Big one in Russia. And before you ask, yes I _do_ live with my grandfather. And I will probably go back there once this championship is over."

"After what he did to you?" Ray asked. "How could you just go back?"

The corner of Kai's lip twitched. "As much as I hate it, Voltaire _is_ family. I can't just turn my back on him. Besides, he isn't always like that. Only when you piss him off."

Lee glanced at him. "Piss him off?"

"I usually bladed in my bedroom, breaking windows, even after I was told not too. I'd skip classes with my tutors, and lately I'll sneak out at night to go cruising on my bike." Kai smiled faintly, closing his eyes. "You could say I usually deserved whatever punishment I got."

"Not that last one," Lee disagreed. "You did nothing to deserve that."

"You're right, I did nothing, which is why I was punished." Kai sighed. "When my grandfather gives an order, it must be obeyed. Failure escapes no one, not even me." He stared off into the darkness. "And then there is you guys…"

"Yeah. We've had our fair share of bozo's like Voltaire." Lee glanced quickly at Ray. "We usually just ignore them. If not… well, there's a reason why we are able to move so fast."

Kai looked at him out the corner of his eye. "I've witnessed the neko-jin speed when Kevin made a run for it in that alley in China. So far though, he's the only one I've really seen move. You seem slower, more deliberate."

Lee nodded, smiling faintly. "I prefer intimidation, while Kevin is more for the surprise attack. Either way though, is effective if used right."

Ray smirked. "Admit it, Lion, you're jealous of Monkey."

"Come off it, Tiger. It's a known fact that the Ki family are better at sneak attacks, whereas the Yin's are better on the front line of an assault."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "What about the Minxs' and Kons'?"

Ray frowned. "The Kon's weren't really into fighting, but when they did they used their speed and strength, which is probably why so many of us were killed, but were still able to claim victory. As for the Minx's… well, they were just ruthless."

"Like Mariah when she blades," Kai said with a small smile. "What relation is Gary to you, Lee?"

"Second cousin. He's the son of the son of my grandfathers brother." Lee chuckled. "He's also Kevin's cousin. Their mothers are sisters."

"One big happy family."

"Yeah right." Lee scowled. "Kevin's an annoying brat that just won't take a hint. He managed to work his way onto Gary's good side, and is so good at playing cute that you can't stay angry with him."

"Accept for you, Lee." Ray looked over at him. "I can't remember a day when you two haven't fought."

"He bugs me."

"Only because he knows he can get you going. Kevin's good at preying on peoples emotions, and he has yours down to an art."

Kai sighed. "You two aren't going to start fighting again, are you?"

"No." Lee shot Ray a glare.

A thought occurred to Kai, causing him to chuckle.

Ray looked at him. "What's funny, Kai?"

"Just thinking. You two have a crush on Mariah, am I right?"

"Ah, Kai. We're kinda dating each other-"

"I realise that, Ray. Just answer the question."

"So maybe we do," Lee confessed. "What's it to you?"

Kai smirked. "Oh, nothing… except I think Kevin has one on her too."

"What?!"

Kai carefully made his way over a piece of rocky ground, maintaining his footing. "So does Kenny, but Kenny likes most of the girls he can't have, and is too chicken anyhow."

"Yes, but _Kevin_." Ray shook his head. "He's two years younger then her for pete's sake."

"Age is of no importance."

"If that imp goes anywhere near her, I'll have his head for a room decoration." Lee growled. "I may not want her for myself, but I would rather _Tyson_ have her then Kevin."

"Agreed." Ray nodded, glaring into the darkness. "Anyone but Kevin."

Kai checked his watch, scowling. "Let's pick up the pace a little. Its already almost midday and no, we're not stopping for lunch, so lets keep your traps shut and try to get up this embankment, okay?"

* * *

Anyone but Kevin… heh heh heh


	20. Things Are Getting Worse

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20: Things Are Getting Worse

_TigerRain_: You're not the only one who's dying...

_TigerTerror_: Hm. You could be right about that.

_bmw_: Heh. Kevin is cool. #^_^#

_the tigris_: Yep. _Anyone _but Kevin. ^_~

_Imari_: Mm-hm. They're all good all right. Just that some are better than others... :p

_Ms Hobgoblin_: All the fun is in the waiting. Heh heh heh. ^_~

_Gothic-Wolf_: This story is a _long_ way from being finished. Trust me.

_moondragon-1001_: I'm updating!

Its amazing just how supportive everyone is when it comes to Beyblade fan fic. I always thought that the Star Wars fans were good, but the authors and readers of Beyblade are almost 100 times better. That's not having a go at the Star Wars group, just a general observation. So a big thumbs up to everyone in the Beyblade community.

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Disclaimer: I just noticed I haven't said I owned them for a long time, so here I say it: I don't own Beyblade

* * *

Max awoke, stretching and yawning. It had been another long night, filled with odd noises and smells, and made worse when Gary farted. Max wrinkled his nose at the memory, now knowing why Lee, Ray, Kevin, and Mariah had voted unanimously to allow Gary to have a room of his own when they had been deciding on who would sleep where. And Max had used to think Tyson was bad…

Rubbing his eyes, Max looked around, spotting Tyson stretched out flat on his back, snoring. Max shook his head in amusement. Tyson could sleep absolutely anywhere. Max was certain that they could chain Tyson to a bed of nails and he would _still_ be able to get a good nights sleep.

Reaching out, Max brushed the hair from Tyson's face, smiling wistfully. They had been through so much over the last few months since Max had first met the younger teen, and in that time Max had come to look up to the Japanese boy. Tyson rarely ever showed his fear, but then, that was usually because Tyson was thinking with his stomach.

Tyson was stubborn, arrogant, annoying, and often a jerk, but they were all qualities Max had come to accept him for. They were what made up Tyson, and Max couldn't think of him being any other way. Kai might be the leader of the Blade Breakers, but Tyson was second in command, willing to step up in the absence of the team captain. And since their capture, Tyson had been their leader.

Max pulled his hand away from Tyson's face as the other stirred, blue-grey eyes blinking open and shooting around before they focused on the American. "Oh, hey Max. Have they fed us yet?"

"Not yet." Max smiled faintly, looking around the group. "And you're not going to believe this, but you're the second in the group to wake up."

"You can't be serious." Tyson sat up, looking around, fringe dropping into his eyes. "That _never_ happens."

"I know." Max grinned. "Either they're tired, or you're turning into a morning person."

"Yeah right. As if. Don't rub it in." Tyson frowned, eyes narrowing. "You can't tell me that's a natural colour."

Max turned, following Tyson's gaze and finding Kevin flopped out beside Mariah, skin a pasty white. The two boys approached cautiously, noting the fine layer of sweat covering the young neko-jin as he breathed rapidly and raggedly. Max layed a hand gently on Kevin's forehead, pulling it back. "He's hot."

"Aw man, that can't be good." Tyson swung around. "Yo Chief! Mr Dickenson! Wake up! Something's wrong with Kevin."

"Tyson, the guys been shot. Of course there's something wrong with him!" Max rolled his eyes, which widened as a stray memory flickered through his mind. "Tyson, remember what happened during the hostage situation with Winton? After Kai was shot?"

"Yeah, you're right. He started to do the same thing." Tyson turned back to Kevin, gently pulling away the hair that had plastered itself to Kevin's face. "Though it wasn't as bad as this."

"If I remember right, the doctors said it was caused by blood loss."

Tyson's eyes widened as he pulled at Kevin's shirt, the others starting to stir to awake as Tyson stared down at the wound. "Aw man! He's still bleeding!"

Mariah pushed herself up, blinking sleep from her eyes. "Wh… What's going on?"

"Kevin," Max answered. "I think he's…"

Mariah was awake in an instant, the reality of what Max was saying sinking in and driving all thoughts of sleep from her mind. She swung around, choking back as sob as she took in the state of her childhood friend. "Oh my god. Kevin!"

"Mariah? Mariah what's wrong?" Gary was by her side, one hand resting on her shoulders as they shook. "What's happening?"

"Oh my." Mr Dickenson knelt by Kevin, touching the teens forehead just like Max had barely minutes before. "He's burning up with fever. Kenny, please get me some water."

Kenny complied without speaking a word, returning and handling the small bowl to Mr Dickenson, who pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and placed it in the liquid. Once he was satisfied it was soak, he wrung some of the water from it and placed it on Kevin's forehead.

"He needs immediate medical attention," Mr Dickenson told them. "Without bandages, then we can nothing to try and stop Kevin from bleeding out. I'm afraid if something is not done soon…"

Mariah shook her head, slipping to Kevin's side and drawing him to her. "No. No, you're wrong. Kevin won't do that. He won't. He can't. He's too young."

"I feel the same way too," Gary agreed. "But Mr D is right. If something is not done soon-"

"_He can't die_!" Mariah was sobbing uncontrollably now. She looked down at the boy in her arms. "Kevin, wake up." He didn't respond. "Kevin, please wake up." Nothing. "Kevin!"

"Aw, is something wrong with the little neko-jin?" They swung around to find Zika leaning against the bars, a half-amused smile on his face. "Well isn't that too bad."

Mr Dickenson pushed himself to his feet and moved forward. "You must give the boy immediate medical attention-"

"It's not a boy it's a _thing_," Zika spat, expression darkening. "And if I hear you say anything about him needing to see the medics, then I will have my men put him out of his misery just to shut you up, Dickenson."

Mariah whimpered, pulling Kevin closer to her protectively, the others surrounding her offering further support.

Mr Dickenson took a half step back, shoulders slumping with defeat. "Very well. But I must know how long you intend to keep us here?"

"Until I get my money." Zika folded his hands in front of him, almost business like. "The ransom note gave the BBA a week to pay me, and I just received word that they have the note. What is interesting, however, is that it was not delivered personally by the those we sent it to originally, but rather through the mail."

Mr Dickenson frowned. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"It's quite simple, Dickenson. The note was sent to your hotel suite. Do you understand now?"

Tyson's eyes widened. "Kai, Ray and Lee!"

Zika nodded. "I am certain they got the note, as the envelope that reached the BBA was addressed in Yin's handwriting. Apparently, it was also somewhat crumpled. Someone was not very happy with what it said."

Tyson glared at him. "Can you blame them?"

"Not at all. I'm just interested in where they've disappeared too. The Russian and two neko-jin have not been seen for just over two days now. What I want to know is where they might have gone to."

"And how do you expect us to know." Tyson pushed himself up, coming to stand before Mr Dickenson. "If you're going to ask us where they are, then don't bother. And we can't tell you what they might be doing, as we don't know them well enough. Your guess is as good as ours, shit-for-brains."

"Tyson!" Mr Dickenson's eyes widened. "Oh my."

"My my, why aren't you the strong one." Zika nodded, then plucked a cane from the arms of one of his bodyguards, sticking it through the bars and bringing its point into contact with Tyson, pushing a button. Tyson let out a sharp shriek of pain as the electricity moved through him, sending him stumbling backward and dropping him toward the ground, Max catching him. "Heroics do you no good here, boy. They only cause pain. Remember that."

He turned and left, leaving Tyson panting, eyes squeezed closed as the numbing pain slowly began to subside, Kenny and Mr Dickenson moving to his side.

"You just can't keep your mouth shut, can you?" Max asked, arm around Tyson's shoulder, steadying him.

Tyson laughed, flashing Max a weary grin. "You know me."

Mariah looked at them sadly, then back down at Kevin, using Mr Dickenson's handkerchief to gently dab away the sweat. "Please hurry." She looked up, eyes longing toward the doorway, filled with small hope and a large amount of fear. "Please hurry, Lee. Please hurry."

* * *

Kevin's health is failing fast. Think he'll make it?


	21. One Step at a Time

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21: One Step at a Time

_Gothic-Wolf_: #^_^# Thank you so much! Yeah, my sisters and I are huge Beyblade fans, and I got a couple of my friends into it as well. And I get a lot of funny looks when I tell people I watch anime like Beyblade, Dragonball Z or Pokemon, but ah well. I'm proud of it!

_Imari_: You never know. ~_^

_TigerRain_: You'll just have to wait and see.

_Ms Hobgoblin_: Sex crazed? Yep. :p

_moondragon-1001_: Over my rating? Would it? Hm, might have to change it... :p

_bmw_: Yes, I enjoyed shocking Tyson. ^_^

I went a while between writing these last two chapters and the one before that. No inspiration, just homework. And a whole lot of stress…

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Disclaimer: I would get a character to say that I don't own them, but that's a little too cliché.

* * *

Ray looked up from where he knelt by the small fire making breakfast, eyes falling upon his lover perched on a rock, elbows on knees, head in hands, frowning into the darkness. Curiosity played through Ray's emotions as he cocked his head to the side, tossing the spatula at Kai, who was finishing folding up their blankets, before standing and moving toward Lee.

He hung back, noting the faraway look in his fellow neko-jins eye. "What is it?"

Lee's forehead furrowed further. "Something's wrong."

"About our quest?"

"No, it's… it's the others." Lee's eyes narrowed. "It's Kevin."

"Are you sure?"

"I-I-I really don't know." Lee straightened, glancing over his shoulder. "You probably think I'm crazy."

"Not at all." Ray smiled, moving toward Lee and wrapping his arms around him from behind, resting his head on his shoulder. "I've been having weird feelings myself. Everytime something goes wrong with those I'm close to, I usually dream it. I dreamt about the hostage situation. That was the first time it was about something really serious."

Lee raised an eyebrow. "Freaky."

"Yeah."

"You think it has something to do with that thing the Elders used to talk about? That at a late point in puberty, some neko-jin develop an extra sense?"

"Hm. You might be right. We are the same age after all."

Lee elbowed him gently. "I'm older by five months, Tiger."

"Dates don't have anything to do with ageing, Lion. Just look at Kevin. He's 14 and still looks about eight."

"He'll grow. My father told me that Kevin's dad was the same, and look at him."

"True." Ray nuzzled Lee's neck. "Also remember, age has nothing to do with maturity."

Lee smirked. "I'm _definitely_ older in that area."

Ray nodded to the side. "And Kai would be older then the both of us, even though you've got almost two months on him."

Lee nodded, shooting a look to the side and spotting Kai poking at the cooking breakfast, shoving another charcoal brick onto the pile. Lee lowered his voice, turning so that he faced Ray, pressing his lips against Ray's ear. "So any idea what to do with the phoenix?"

Ray shook his head, pressing his mouth to Lee's ear, whispering. "None. I flirted with him a bit yesterday, but he didn't seem to notice." Ray smiled. "He's cute without the face paint."

"Heh heh, no arguments here." Lee kissed Ray's cheek, running a hand through his hair. "We might have to take it up a step."

Ray frowned. "Meaning…"

"Accidental brushing. Adding him into spoken fantasies 'just for a laugh'. Definitely a lot more flirting."

Ray frowned. "Lee, do you _ever_ flirt?"

"Sometimes." Lee pulled back, gazing into Ray's eyes, liking the way the firelight played off the others skin. "When I feel like it."

"I've never seen you flirt."

"Really?" Lee leant forward, his lips brushing against Ray's. "I think you have. Sometimes when you watch me, I look at you in a certain way and your eyes will light up. I move to pick up the same bit of cake on a plate, and always let you have, as I never intended to have it in the first place. I seem to absently run a hand through my hair when you're watching, because I _know_ that you are watching. I give you that small smile when no one else is watching us. Are you sure you've never seen me flirt?"

Ray swallowed nervously, the tone of Lee's voice, his closeness, his scent, all causing Ray to feel like he was going to melt. "You're trying to seduce me."

Lee smirked, running a hand down the side of Ray's face, watching the others expression. "I think I already have."

Ray moaned, falling against the rock and allowing Lee to pull him up into his lap. Ray snaked his arms around Lee's neck as the other kissed him, all the while pulling Ray closer, the younger boy feeling like putty beneath his fingers. Lee smiled against Ray's mouth, deepening the kiss. Even after all these years, he still had his touch.

Kai looked up from where he was cooking the breakfast and had to smile. Lee certainly had Ray wrapped around his finger. He just hoped that the two remembered that he was there, or else he would have to do something drastic. Cold water was the first thing to come to mind. From that point on, things became violent.

Pushing the eggs around the pan, Kai added a little extra salt. He didn't make it common knowledge that he knew how to cook. If the Blade Breakers found out about that, Tyson would be wrapped around his leg begging for the next meal three hours in advance. Kai shuddered at the mental image. No, better to let them think Ray was the only cook in the group. It was safer that way.

He stole another look at the couple, scowling at the feeling of being left out. Lee was crossed legged on the rock, Ray seated in the space between his knees, the kisses so hot that it would have made ice melt. Kai's eyes narrowed as at one point Ray's hands begun to wander, only to have Lee fish them back, causing Kai to nod. Well, at least _one_ of them still had a clear head.

Shoving the eggs once more around the pan, Kai sighed and flipped them onto a plate. "Come and get it, kittens."

Lee pulled back from Ray, who hadn't seemed to have heard. "What did you call us?"

Kai shrugged, taking his own share of food and moving away from the fire, settling down beside a rock on the other side, not bothering to answer.

Ray noted Lee's frown as the elder boy watched Kai move away. "What is it?"

"He just called us 'kittens'," Lee answered, eyes narrowing before he smiled evilly. "I think we're in for a chance."

* * *

Why _did_ Kai call them 'kittens'? And Ray and Lee seemed to be getting on rather well there, didn't they. :p


	22. Strength Comes From Within

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22: Strength Comes From Within

_Jay Kamiya_: Great to hear, and welcome!

_TigerRain_: A neko-jin ability to be exact, and one few possess. I will be taking it one step further in my upcoming fic _Honesty II_, but that's pretty much it for this fic in terms of explanation.

_Ms Hobgoblin_: Thanks. I'm so glad that you are liking it. ^_^

_Imari_: I doubt even Kai knows why. Maybe it was brought on due to his thoughts leading up to that point...

_the tigris_: So many theories, so little explanation... ^_~

_Sarcasmcat_: Phenomenal? No ones called my stuff _that_ before. #^_^#

**Quick Note:** I recently won two more fan fic awards for my _Star Wars_ fan fiction (as voted by the readers). Yet another reason to keep on writing. Keep on reviewing, my friends. I truly get a buzz from them.

Don't you hate it when you write so much of a story, know how its going to end, but get to the point in between where you have no idea what to do? I tell you, sometimes I just feel like smashing my head into a brick wall. Problem is, I might damage the wall…

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Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own them

* * *

Night was once again approaching, they could feel it on the air. While the cavern was always cold, it took on a bite as soon as the sun went down outside. Oh how they longed for sunlight, but all they were able to get was the artificial light of the spotlights burning down from above. They had been fed again, the same as the day before: breadcrumbs, water and honey, the portions no bigger, though they had been unable to wake Kevin for his.

The young neko-jins health continued to deteriorate. His skin had taken on an almost greyish-yellow hue, and, to Mariah, he felt as if he were becoming lighter. She cradled him against her chest, his hair falling free down over his face. He looked older, as if his youth ebbed away with each passing hour.

She had stopped crying long ago, her eyes dry, all her tears gone. The others left her alone, Gary having joined the others as they sat in a circle, talking quietly amongst themselves. It came as no surprise that the conversations seemed to mainly focus around beyblading. Gary and Tyson chose to stay off the conversation of food, and the others complied, not wanting to cause any trouble.

It left Mariah to her thoughts, her mind a whirlwind as it tried to keep up with all that had gone on over the last couple of months. So much had happened; so much had changed. Ray was no longer an enemy, but once again a dear friend. And in the process of surviving the hostage situation, the White Tigers had made some new friends in the form of the Blade Breakers.

It didn't take much to see that Kevin and Max enjoyed competing against each other, mainly on the playstation, and that Tyson and Gary shared interests in food. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Mariah knew that Lee was rather fond of Kai, and she herself could see a small similarity between the two, could almost sense something that drew them together. And Ray got along with them all, delighted that all his friends could be together in one place.

But where did that leave Mariah? She kept mainly to herself, trying to maintain the order of the White Tigers just as Kenny maintained the order of the Blade Breakers. She and the nerd had had some rather interesting discussions about the two teams and their social habits, teaching each other new tricks to keep the guys in line. And, as she knew, when it came to keeping the guys in line, you needed every trick you could get.

She remembered fondly the episode involving the three elder boys spying on the women by the pool. She had been angry with them then, but looking back, she found it amusing. She remembered Ray's look of panic as he realised it was her, Kai's tone of annoyance when he was forced to explain himself, and Lee's look of betrayal in having been left out. Her smile widened as she remembered Tyson's eagerness to take a peek, the look on Kevin's face showing he also wished to go but wisely chose to remain silent so not to be caught in the wrath of his pink-haired teammate…

Mariah looked down at Kevin, running her fingers through his hair. He seemed devoid of life, something that was purely unnatural for the cheeky little monkey. She sighed, a feeling of guilt washing over her. It was her fault, what had happened to Kevin. If she hadn't forgotten her purse, she would have never had to go back to the training room, never been cornered by those men, only to have Kevin come to her rescue…

"Mariah."

Mariah snapped back to reality, blinking and bring her gaze downward. "Kevin?"

His eyes were open, violet orbs duller then she had ever seen them, bringing fresh tears to her eyes. He looked up at her, and it was easy to see that he was having trouble focusing. "I don't feel so good."

"I know, Kevin." She ran her hand through his hair, drawing a deep breath, trying to be strong. "Kevin… I… I never thanked you."

"For what?"

"Saving me. The other day." She closed her eyes against the tears. "Its… its all my fault. If I hadn't been so careless, none of this would have happened, and-"

She cut herself off at the soft touch. Opening her eyes, she found Kevin watching her, gaze intent as he gently wiped the tears from her face.

"It's not your fault, Mariah. Don't tell yourself that." He blinked, pausing as he composed himself. "They would have done it anyway. You know it. Besides, it was my fault for being out in the open like that." He laughed softly. "I guess I'll never learn."

She smiled, reaching out to lay her hand on his, which was still pressed against her cheek. "I didn't want you to get hurt, Kevin. Ray, Lee, Gary… I can see them all getting hurt, but not you. It… tears at me… to see you like this."

"Then you know how I feel when I see you cry." Kevin drew a careful breath, face becoming serious. "Don't cry for me, Mariah. I'm not worth."

"That's not true." She felt a sense of hopelessness wash over her as she closed her fingers around his, noting the strength in his grip was weaker then she ever remembered it. "Don't put yourself down like that, Kevin. So you might be a misfit, but so am I. I care about you, Kevin. I really do. You mean so much to me… I-I don't want to lose you."

"You can't control destiny." He looked up, noting her distressed look. "I'm not leaving you, Mariah. We're going to get out of here. Lee will come. You wait."

She smiled, nodding. "Yes, he will come. And then we can all escape, and get you to a hospital. And when you're all better, we can all go back to the way things were." Her smile widened. "I'll even help you play a prank on Tyson."

"Now you're moving into fantasy land." He saw her face fall. "I always prank Kenny before I get Tyson."

She relaxed. "That's what I want to hear."

He watched her, sighing as he took in her face, her expression, his gaze moving down toward their entwined fingers. "I care about you too, Mariah. That's why I did what I did, and if I could go back in time, I would do it all over again. I couldn't stand to see them doing that to you… I couldn't let anybody do that to you."

"I know." The trademark cocky infliction to his voice was gone, making her realise exactly how bad he must be feeling. "I just wish there was some way I could take away your pain…"

"I'm not in pain." His eyelids were drooping again, but he fought the darkness. "I'm just tired. Weak."

"But your wound-"

"It burns…. every so often. It's numb. I can't feel it, just… so tired."

Mariah raised his hand to her lips, kissing his fingers. "I'm so scared you won't wake up."

Kevin swallowed, meeting her gaze with his own. "So am I."

* * *

Not looking good for Kevin…


	23. Feelings of Confusion

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23: Feelings of Confusion

_TigerRain_: Nope. It's a continue on of _Honesty_, which is mainly a Lee/Kevin, with bits of Kai/Ray and Max/Tyson. I'll have to write more fics with Kai/Lee/Ray though. :p

_the tigris_: Certainly doesn't.

_Imari_: Heh heh. ^_^

_Gothic-Wolf_: More Kai/Ray/Lee? Okay...

I know this fic seems to have sped up, but the captured group hasn't been doing much during the day, and the three rescuers do nothing but walk. Anything interesting is that occurs during the day appears in the chapters that I write via flashbacks and such, as they are so few and far between in the length of the day. Well anyway, on with the story.

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Disclaimer: I could always start referring you back to the first chapter like some writers do…

* * *

Kai pulled his blanket tighter around him, trying to keep from shivering. Though he had been brought up in Russia and in particular, Moscow, he still felt the biting chill that seemed to follow them through this forbidden place. And it wasn't made any better by the fact that during the length of the day he had slipt on some loose rocks and into a small pool of water, either. He had changed his outfit, but the icy bite of the water remained.

He looked across the fire to where Ray was curled up in Lee's arms against the cave wall; both asleep nestled amongst their blankets. At least _they_ were warm. He sighed, mind wandering back over the events of the day, over the whispering the two had shared. He knew it was always about him from Ray's almost hidden guilty expression when he had questioned them at one point, Lee brushing it off.

And then came the 'other' things. They had been talking quietly at one point over different things they would do to the other if the other ever got them mad. Most of the things had some sort of sexual orientation - whippings, biting, chaining one to the bed - and Kai had been just about to tell them to shut up when they had entered _him_ into their conversation. What to do with him should _he_ ever get them mad. Like the rest, most of the things were sexual orientated, but he found himself actually wondering what it would feel like, wondering if they ever _would_ do that, silently hoping that they will.

He shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking these things, not about them. He had nothing against Lee and Ray, but these thoughts… And the fact Ray had wrapped his arms around him after they had fished him from the pool hadn't helped, and neither had the time when Lee's hand had brushed his leg while they were climbing a rather slippery slope.

He was straight! These thoughts were wrong! They came from being around the two neko-jin for too long. Once this was all over, Kai was going to sneak into a club and try to pick up a hot chick. Yes, that would make him feel better. To hold a woman in his arms-

"You look cold."

Kai looked up, noticing Lee watching him. "I'm fine."

Lee narrowed his eyes, not speaking for a moment before patting the spot beside him. "Come here."

Kai glared at him.

"I said come here, Phoenix. I'm not going to bite you. Just remember what we did when the heating went out back at the hotel. We shared a bed, remember? And it was warm."

"I also recall waking up to be in a rather… interesting… position."

"So? We all toss and turn of a night. Not my fault what happens." Lee smirked. "And you've got to admit, it _was_ rather comfortable."

Kai continued to glare for a moment, before scooping up his things and moving around the edge of the fire, dropping down beside Lee. They shuffled, careful not to wake Ray as they resettled the blankets, Kai sliding in beside the neko-jin, careful to keep at least a small amount of distance between him and the older boy.

Gazing down at Ray, Kai smiled faintly. "He looks like a _real_ kitten."

Lee snorted, brushing the hair away from Ray's eyes. "He does. But he can get vicious if he has a bad dream and sticks the claws in."

"I can imagine."

Lee frowned, noting the distance between Kai and himself, meeting the crimson eyes steadily. "You don't like getting too close, do you."

Kai shifted uncomfortably under those clear orange-yellow eyes. "I like my personal space."

"Don't we all." Lee's eyes narrowed. "The whole point of the body heat thing is _being_ close. If you're going to stay there, then you might as well go back to the other side of the fire."

Kai growled. "First you want me here, then you want me to go away? Make up your mind, Yin."

"Actually Hiwatari, I think its _you_ who needs to make up their mind." Lee raised an eyebrow. "I think you're scared."

Kai looked up sharply. "Me? Scared?"

"Scared of getting too close. What it might do to you." Lee smirked. "Am I right?"

"Hn. It won't do anything."

"Then why do you keep your distance?" Lee tilted his head to the side. "Don't you trust me, Phoenix? Oh that's right, you don't trust anyone, only yourself. But _can _you trust yourself, as you are starting to doubt who you are."

Kai's frown deepened. How could he know…?

"I've been there, Kai. I've walked the ground you now tread upon, and I made it through all right. In fact, I was better for it, because some things just can't be denied."

Kai felt, for the first time in a long time, a sense of nervousness sweep through him. "What… cannot be denied?"

Lee's devilish smile widened as he reached out, trailing his fingers down Kai's face. "This."

Before Kai knew what was happening, Lee looped hand behind his head, drawing his lips down onto the neko-jins. Ray muttered something in his sleep, curling up tighter against Lee's chest as Lee kissed Kai, gently yet firmly on the mouth, lingering as he pulled back, taking in what his gamble had done.

Kai was dumbstruck, that much was clear, the move having obviously taken him by surprise. Lee watched Kai's eyes, windows to the soul, noting the confusion, the conflict dancing within them as the Russian tried to comprehend all that was going on, both without and within.

What it was that caused the most conflict was the fact that being kissed by Lee had felt… well, _good_. He knew he should have been repulsed, 'how dare this guy, this neko-jin, kiss me', but he didn't. It felt like it had felt to have both Ray and Lee curled up against him when he had awoken a few days ago. It had felt… right.

He was pulled back to reality as Lee kissed him again, this time longer. Kai went slacked mouthed, and Lee pounced, running his tongue over Kai's bottom lip before delving deeper. He almost laughed in triumph as Kai kissed him back, but Lee knew he had merely won this single battle. The war was not over. The war was still yet to be fought, and only Kai could decide on the outcome.

He ran his fingers through Kai's hair, smiling as Kai gingerly touched his face, sliding closer. Lee never forgot Ray, who was still curled up against his chest, so was careful not to let the Tiger slip from his perch as the Lion devoured the Phoenix, the kisses becoming more intense as the time wore on.

The only thing that brought the kissing to an end was the need for air, both teens panting as they pulled away from one another. Lee could see the conflict playing through Kai's eyes and smiled reassuringly, slipping an arm around Kai's shoulders and drawing him downward. Kai didn't resist, resting his head on Lee's shoulder as he stared into the fire, trying to work out his jumbled mess of thoughts, feelings, instincts.

Lee rested his head against Kai's, sighing softly, a smile on his lips as he closed his eyes. His gamble had paid off. Yes, the war was not over, but he had certainly enjoyed that last round.

* * *

Hee hee! Lee kissed Kai and Kai's confused! And poor wittle Ray missed out on all the fun. ^_^


	24. Conflicting Emotions

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24: Conflicting Emotions

_TigerRain_: Who'll be more dominant? Heh. You won't know in this story, but later on...

_Sarcasmcat_: Short, sharp, and to the point. ^_^

_Imari_: Ray and Lee are dating and they _both_ want Kai. Kai's not sure what he wants... yet. ^_~

_Ms Hobgoblin_: Ray missing out? Not for much longer. :p

Just as I am writing this chapter I am looking at the rough sketch of the image by Melanie. I can't help but stare in awe: here is an image from my head, written for all to imagine, and drawn by a talented artist for all to see. It's just so hard to comprehend; hard to describe what I am feeling. Thank you Melanie. *^_^*

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Disclaimer: . but then I wouldn't be able to have any fun now, would I? 

* * *

Ray blinked as he slowly chased the sleep from his mind. His eyes were on the fire, it slowly dawning on him that the strong chest that he was leaning against was not his lovers. Looking down, he took in the arm threaded around his waist and had to smile. Kai.

He snuggled in closer, letting his gaze move around the fire light and smiling as he spotted Lee hunched by the embers, adding a few more bricks to keep the fire going enough for them to make breakfast. Lee felt his gaze, looking up and smiling warmly toward his fellow neko-jin. Ray smiled back, expression turning to curiosity as he spotted the mischievous glint in Lee's eye. Something had gone down while he had been sleeping.

Gently peeling himself from the still sleeping Kai's arms, Ray made his way across to Lee's side, remembering to keep his voice low. "Okay, what happened?"

Lee looked up at him, blinking his wide catlike eyes innocently. "I really don't know what you mean."

Ray didn't buy it for a second. "Come on, Lee. What did you do?"

"Oh, nothing." He prodded the fire, encouraging it to blaze back to life. "I might have kissed him, that's all."

"You _what_!?" Ray's eyes widened, glancing quickly at Kai to see if his outburst had woken the phoenix up. Seeing that he was still asleep, Ray turned back to Lee. "What happened to taking it slow?"

"So I decided to take it up a notch."

"Try three or four." Ray sighed, crossing his legs and stretching. "I'm almost afraid to ask but. what did he do?"

"He didn't punch me, if that's what you're asking." Lee smirked. "If you really must know, he kissed me back."

"Really?" Ray laughed. "I told you you would be the one to do it."

"Not so fast, Tiger. I really wish it were that easy, but it's not." Lee nodded to the side. "Right now he doesn't know where he stands. He's confused, torn between his feelings and what he believes of himself. Until he can decide exactly where he stands, there is nothing we can do."

"That's not entirely true." The corners of Ray's lips turned upward, an almost evil glint burning in his eye. "You've had your fun, now it's my turn."

Lee looked up. "Think you can handle it?"

"Watch and learn." Ray leant forward, catching Lee's mouth in a quick kiss before he moved back toward the phoenix. "Get out of sight."

Lee nodded, catching hold of the water bottles and torch, disappearing into the darkness to fetch some more water, the bob of light the only indication of where he had gone.

Ray watched him go, drawing a deep breath and calming his nerves. Sometimes he wished he had Lee's unwavering sense of determination, something Kevin also seemed to possess. Ray often found himself fighting off nerves and self doubt that always seemed to appear at exactly the wrong time. such as now.

Ray knelt by Kai, eyes exploring the others face. He was cute, that's for sure, and no one could deny that. Kai's fan club almost rivalled Ray's own when it came to obsessed fan girls, and even the occasional fan guy. Tyson often boasted that his own fan club drew in the ladies, but it could never compare to the fan club of the Tiger or the Phoenix. But right now Ray didn't care about fan clubs. All he cared about was Kai.

He reached forward, running a hand through Kai's hair, marvelling at its texture, and wondering at its strange yet perfect colouring. He brushed Kai's fringe from his face, letting his fingers trail over one cheek, liking the way the skin glowed in the firelight. He smiled as Kai's eyes flickered open, crimson orbs coming to rest on his face, the confusion and conflict Lee had mentioned playing through them.

"Ray?"

"You had something in your hair," Ray said gently, caressing Kai's brow. "I got it out."

"Ah. thanks." Kai glanced around. "Where's."

"Fetching some more water." Ray smiled. "It's just you and me."

Kai looked up sharply, and Ray was almost surprised by what he saw. Instead of the strong, calm, and collected leader he knew, Ray found himself looking upon an unsure and almost nervous young man. It was almost the complete opposite of anything Ray had ever thought about Kai; the other side to team captain that Kai kept locked deeply away. Ray smiled faintly. He didn't mind this side at all.

"You're afraid," Ray observed. "Afraid of me. Of Lee. Of the unknown."

Kai shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do." Ray brought up his other hand, gently cupping Kai's face. "You're afraid of the first step in a place you've never thought you'd come to be in. You're standing at a crossroad, wondering which path to follow when there was a point you were so sure of your destination. You no longer know what is wrong or right, where black begins and white ends. You are standing in the grey, and you don't know which way to turn.

"You feel that you no longer have any control over you feelings, your emotions. No control over yourself." He leant forward, eyes half closed as he smiled reassuringly. "But there is one thing you_ can _control. You can always say 'stop'."

Ray brought his lips down onto Kai's, marvelling at the softness of those lips. He waited for the rebuke, the hard slap in the face, but it never came. All sense of nervousness washed away as Kai allowed Ray to deepen the kiss, though Ray could sense the hesitation. 

Lee settled himself by the fire, smiling faintly. From where he sat, Ray seemed to have things perfectly under control. Lee had never doubted that his lover would be able to have a hand in taming the phoenix, but to see Ray so confident in something that borderlined suicide. well, it almost made Lee proud. The only thing that stopped it was the faint jealousy, and the fact that while the phoenix was responding, they may still lose the overall struggle-

A pang to the heart caused Lee to gasp, one hand reaching up to clutch his chest. Ray let out a moan, pulling away from Kai sharply, eyes shooting behind him as he felt a similar throb. "Lee!"

"I felt it." Lee closed his eyes, trying to regain control. What was it? What _was_ it?

Kai frowned, looking from one to the other, faint concern written into his features as the cold exterior of the Blade Breaker team captain returned in vengeance. "What? What is it?"

Ray shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I don't. I don't know."

"I do." Lee opened his eyes, gaze hard as the catlike orbs rose toward the darkness, and ultimately, their destination. "It's Kevin."

* * *

Sixth sense is telling them something is very, _very_ wrong. And just when Kai and Ray were getting comfortable too. ^_^


	25. Hanging By a Thread

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25: Hanging By a Thread

_Jay Kamiya_: Agreed. but exactly _what_ was that bad feeling? ^_~

_the tigris_: Like reviews, hm? Well before I start posting a story here, I make sure it's finished, so only not having access to my computer or the net will stop me from updating... or sickness... or... there's lots of things actually. -_-;;

_Imari_: Yeah. Poor, poor Kai. And who says Kevin can't die? :p

If you can't remember the last chapter, both Lee and Ray had a bad feeling at the same time, and Lee announced that it had something to do with Kevin…

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Disclaimer: I wouldn't be able to have the 'disclaimer' story then, would I? ^_~

* * *

Mariah's eyes flew open as a sense of unease washed over her. She stared up at the steel plate that was the roof of their cage, trying to work out what the feeling was. She blinked, frowning as she felt Kevin's weight against her chest, the young neko-jin feeling lighter then she remembered. She tightened her arm around him, careful not to touch the brush the wound, pressing her hand against his chest…

"KEVIN!"

She shot up, gazing down at the green-haired teen in utter terror, bringing her ear down against his chest as the others jerked awake with her outburst. She let out a strangled sob as she discovered her original thoughts had been correct: no heartbeat, no breathing. Kevin was…

"Oh god, Kevin. Don't do this to me. _Please_ don't do this to me."

"Mariah?" Gary looked up at her. "Mariah? What-"

"He's not breathing," Mariah answered, the others waking in a flash. "I can't… his hearts not beating."

"Oh my." Mr Dickenson pushed himself to his feet, hurrying to Kevin's side and searching for a pulse. "You're right. There is no pulse. How long has he been like this?"

"I don't… I don't know." Mariah was sobbing. "He was… he was like it when I woke up."

"We may still have a chance. Mariah, I'm going to need you to help me. Do as I say, understand?"

Mariah nodded as she brushed away her tears, time becoming a haze as Mr Dickenson rattled off a string of directions. Mariah recognised them as CPR, something she had only ever seen done on the television or on the chart that seemed to be pinned up all over the bey stadium and recreation centres. Mr Dickenson had been trained in basic first aid, and would perform the heart massage while Mariah would do mouth-to-mouth.

The others hung back, Kenny squeezing his eyes closed and preying as Gary sat down heavily, watching in shock. Kevin was his little buddy, rarely were they seen apart. Gary would let Kevin ride around perched on his shoulder so that the little monkey wouldn't be trod on, the two sharing a wry smile when people teased them about Kevin being Gary's pet. In a way, it was true, as Kevin had always been Gary's favourite.

And now he might lose him forever.

"Wake up, Kevin," Gary said softly. "Don't leave us, little buddy. We need you."

Max whimpered, curling up into a tight ball. "This is wrong. This can't be happening."

"I agree," Tyson said, kneeling beside him and pulling the American to him, his voice wavering. "It's… it's just not right."

"Please come back Kevin," Mariah whispered between breaths, tears running down her face. "I love you. I love you."

"I do believe it is working," Mr Dickenson said, checking Kevin's pulse after he completed another set. "His heart is beating."

"But he's still not breathing."

"Keep at it, my girl." Mr Dickenson frowned, picking up one of Kevin's arms and pressing two fingers against his wrist, counting the beats. "A little slower then I would like, but it's better then nothing. Check him again, Mariah."

She sat back, watching Kevin's chest, a grin spreading across her lips. "He took a breath on his own!"

"Good good." Mr Dickenson nodded, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "We're going to have to keep an eye on him. I'm afraid that this episode will probably repeat itself, so we must stay on guard."

Mariah nodded as the others slowly began to creep away, Kenny joining Tyson and Max as Mr Dickenson returned to the corner he had claimed. Mariah felt a hand on her shoulder and leant back into Gary's hug, choking back the sobs as he patted her head.

"It's okay, Mariah," he said. "Kev's okay now. He won't do that again."

"I'm so scared, Gary," she whispered. "I'm so scared."

"Me too." Gary reached down, smoothing Kevin's hair. "Kevin's a fighter. He'll fight this battle, and he'll win. Lee will come."

"I hope you're right, Gary." Mariah reached down, pulling Kevin's limp form into her arms and cradling him against her, gently caressing his face. "I just don't know what I would do if… if we lost him."

Gary tightened his arm around her, looking from Mariah, to Kevin, then back. "You care about him."

She nodded, wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand. "I do."

"What about Ray?"

Mariah shook her head, tracing her fingers over Kevin's face as she thought. "I… I don't know anymore. I guess I like Kevin more, and it took this happening to make me realise."

Gary nodded. "You would have never gotten Ray."

Mariah frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Not my place to tell."

"Does Lee know?"

"Lee knows everything." Gary looked down at her. "Don't be scared, Mariah. If anything happens, I'll protect you. I'm here for you."

Mariah smiled, closing her eyes and nestling herself in the crook of his arm, pulling Kevin tighter against her. "Thank you, Gary."

* * *

See. Gary _does_ talk. ^_^;;

Watch out for my new story featuring the Demolition Boys: _Out of the Darkness_!


	26. Realisation

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26: Realisation

_the tigris_: Gary is lovable yes. *Tries to hug Gary* Um... my arms don't reach here...

_Chibi Chaos Sama_: Hope you didn't hurt yourself falling off that seat. As for the summary, I took it out. Better now?

_Jay Kamiya_: Yep. Very bad feeling...

_Ms Hobgoblin_: Just drop in when you can. I understand that you won't always make it.

_Imari_: Gary's the strong silent type methinks. ^_~

_Gothic-Wolf_: Tension? Did I? And I'll be looking for you in _Out of the Darkness_. ^_^ 

This fic is really starting to turn angsty. Don't think I enjoyed almost killing Kevin, because I didn't. However, I _did_ enjoy hurting Tyson a few chapters back. Can't explain it though. Maybe its because his character gets on my nerves at times. And if Kevin were in full fighting spirit, _he_ would be the leader of the captured group while Tyson bickered with him. But then, when _aren't_ they bickering:

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Kevin: You totally look like the weakest link

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Tyson: Why you…

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Kevin: mocking Weakest link, weakest link dashes after his team

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Tyson: being held back Well you look like the _missing_ link!

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Disclaimer: Can't say anything stupid in the disclaimer that can rival that last quote there, can I? 

* * *

Lee and Ray walked side by side, not speaking as their torches pierced the darkness, showing them a path through the rocks and crevices. The cold did not bother them anymore, they had grown so accustomed to it that the bite had turned into nothing more then a constant annoyance. Their eyes could pear easily into the dark shroud that had once blinded them, though their catlike orbs had always been far more reliable then the eyes of a normal human.

Their thoughts were on Kevin, the bad feeling that had swept over them now but a slight sense of unease at the back of their mind. The pain in their heart had felt like losing someone close and grieving for their loss, striking fear into the minds of the two neko-jin. What was it that their extra sense was trying to tell them? What fate had befallen upon the annoying yet lovable imp that had been an almost constant companion since their early childhood?

Moving around a large boulder at the foot of another endless rise, they started up it only to discover that the third member of their party was no longer following them. Pausing, they glanced at each other, spotting him standing at the base looking up at them, realisation, suspicion, and anger playing across his face and through the heat of his glare.

Ray frowned. "Kai?"

"You've been toying with me," Kai growled. "Playing me like a puppet."

Lee moved down a few steps to be even with Ray. "What do you mean?"

"Don't pretend you don't know, Yin." Kai's eyes narrowed. "You've been playing with my emotions like they are yours to toy with. Well I don't like it. I won't be manipulated like that. Not by my grandfather; not by anyone."

Lee raised an eyebrow. "Looks like he's caught us out, Tiger. The jig is up."

"Lee!" Ray shot a look at his lover, noting the passive and almost neutral look on his face. "Wait. You were _expecting_ this?"

"Mm. Kai's not stupid, Ray," Lee looked at him, shrugging. "I knew he'd figure it out eventually."

"You could have warned me."

"Guess I forgot." Lee looked down toward Kai, crossing his arms over his chest as best he could with a torch in one hand. "The question now is what the Phoenix is going to do about it."

Kai growled. "You mean apart from punching your lights out."

"But do you _really _want to do that?" A small smile flickered across Lee's lips, fangs glinting in the faint light as his eyes narrowed. "You couldn't do it, even if you wanted to. Something inside would stop you, logic perhaps, as you're going to need us when we reach our destination. But even if we _weren't_ going anywhere, you could never bring yourself to strike us, and why, you cannot work out."

Kai glared at him, a snarl playing across his face. "You're a son-of-a-bitch, Yin."

"My mother can be a bitch, yes. But then, most mothers can at times." Lee slowly moved down the slope, watching Kai out the top of his eyes as he came. "Something inside has changed, Kai, and you know it. Our so called 'game' struck something within you, throwing all you once believed into the air, your feelings and emotions in turmoil. You're confused, and you know that _we_ have something to do with it. But _why_ are you confused? If you were so sure of yourself, then there should _be_ no confusion."

Kai watched him cautiously, feeling like a cornered animal as the Lion circled around. Ray had perched himself on a small ledge, one leg sitting on the knee of the other, arms crossed over his chest, watching curiously. Kai's gaze flickered back to Lee, noting the gleam of intent in those eyes, the burning of a predator stalking his prey. "You're right, it _is_ a game to you. You enjoyed messing with my mind, thinking nothing of it while you had your fun. You don't really care about me, I'm just a pawn in your little game."

"Do you really believe we would do something if there is nothing in it for us?" Lee chuckled sinisterly, eyes narrowing as he scrutinised the younger teen. "We want you, Phoenix. If this is really a game then _you_ are the prize." He stopped, directly in front of Kai, looking up at him, chin raised in defiance. "And the final move is yours."

Kai looked down at him, eyes flickering up toward Ray who now had one elbow on his leg, heading resting in hand as he leant forward, watching in interest. Ray smiled smugly, shrugging and making a 'go ahead' movement with his other hand, but remaining silent. Kai's eyes drifted back down toward Lee, who was watching him unblinking, one eyebrow raising faintly as if to say 'well then?'

Kai swallowed, his mind running full speed as he tried to sort through his emotions, trying to work out exactly _what_ his move would be. Lee and Ray had played their cards well, but, as Lee had said, the final move was his. If he took them up, they would win; if he turned them down, they lost, having gambled everything on this last round. Whatever he decided would change someone's life forever.

He frowned, something flickering through his mind, a quiet realisation that niggled at him, something he had known all along. He thought back to that morning he had discovered himself lying in bed with the two neko-jin curled up against him. It had made him feel… comfortable, more so then he ever had. He could recall their smell, the faint tickle of hair on bare skin, not annoying but actually rather pleasant.

And then there was their taste. It was something unlike he had ever tasted before: sweet like rainwater, yet at the same time spicy, but never sour. A pleasant taste, a taste he knew he would crave forevermore. Lee was more spicy then sweet, Ray the opposite, but both were addictive.

He had always loved the neko-jin, their species fascinating him from the moment he had discovered them while wandering through the streets of Moscow with his nanny, Maree. He loved the way they moved, their elegant grace almost as if they were floating, and an agility that never ceased to amaze him. He loved their appearance: the fangs, the ears, and especially the eyes. He had never though he could ever get close to one… but then these two had come along.

Few could argue that Ray was not attractive. The way he smiled made women swoon, those eyes enough to make you melt when they sparkled. His build, his features, his personality: all were a beacon that drew one to him. He could make anyone open up, so soft and gentle, though it was unwise to annoy him, as you would come under his wrath. Ray was as sweet as he tasted, as Lee was spicy.

Yes, Lee. The handsome rogue. He was rough around the edges, prepared for anything or anyone that came his way. His loyalty to his family, friends, and beliefs was second to none. His battling style aggressive: destroy them before they destroy you. Though he would never be the looker Ray was, he was more masculine then his life-long friend. Lee was the fierce leader, a warrior in his own right. His personality almost the exact opposite of Ray's, yet no less attractive.

They were the Ying and Yang on Ray's bandanna; two entities that balanced each other out. Kai could see in watching them that they had found the perfect harmony between them, and had longed to become part of it. And now their arms were open, offering him inside their retreat. If he turned them down, not only _they_ would lose, but he would lose as well.

Looking once more toward Ray, a small smile flickered across Kai's lip as he returned his attention to the Lion in front of him. He met those orange-yellow orbs, fire meeting fire as he took a half step forward, bringing his lips down onto Lee's. Lee welcomed it, sliding an arm around Kai's waist as Kai slid his hand through Lee's hair, the kisses slow, drawn out, almost experimental. No more hesitation.

Ray laughed in triumph, setting his torch on the ledge and dropping from his perch, crossing the space and reaching up to run a hand through Kai's hair, causing Kai to pull back from Lee. "For a moment there I thought you were going to turn us down."

Kai smirked. "I was."

"Oh really?" Lee looked up at him. "So what changed your mind?"

"The odds were entirely in your favour." The smirk widened. "And in mine."

"Well I'm glad you chose us," Ray said, sliding his arm around the waists of his now _two_ lovers. "Otherwise the remainder of this trip would have been rather awkward."

"Not really." Kai nodded to the side. "I would have simply dumped you both in that pool over there and left without you."

"You are too kind." Lee shook his head and smiled. "Mariah would have killed you if you did that."

"Maybe."

Ray tilted his head, eyes wide with innocence. "Am I going to get a kiss too?"

Kai laughed, pulling Ray to him and kissing him, Ray leaning into it and gripping Kai gently by the back of the head, making sure that the kiss wouldn't end quickly. Lee chuckled and shook his head. "Already trying to score brownie points, Ray. Just remember it was my idea."

"Why am I not surprised," Kai said as the kiss ended. He looked over the top of Lee's head, frowning. "Wait a minute, did you feel that?"

Ray turned. "Feel what?"

"A blast of warm air."

Lee blinked. "Now that you mention it, yeah. And if there's warm air…"

Kai released his grip on the two neko-jin, picking his torch up from where it had fallen to the ground. "Come on kittens, lets get moving. The end is near."

* * *

Kai, Ray, and Lee are finally a… _triple_ would you call it? You can't really say couple, can you? #^_^#


	27. Help From Above

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27: Help From Above

_Gothic-Wolf_: Banned not fun. Had that happen. Hope you can get back soon.

_the tigris_: Cute? Yeah. Just take a look at that picture Melanie drew. They're adorable together. *^_^*

_Imari_: Love triangle is certainly the main way of putting it.

_Ms Hobgoblin_: I like playing with peoples minds, and I imagined that that's _exactly_ what would be going through Kai's mind. And it's not a threesome... yet. ^_~

_TigerRain_: What about Ray? Heh heh. You're going to _love_ this chapter. :p

_Jay Kamiya_: ^_^

Hmm. I have no idea what to say at the moment. Just enjoy the chapter, I guess. And thank you for all the reviews, and putting up with this story. 

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Disclaimer: I don't know why I can't simply say "I don't own them", but then, call it a running thing from _Eclipse_. 

* * *

The three cautiously made their way up the small rise, careful to keep their heads low. They had set their packs down beside a rock behind them, removing the extra weight and allowing them to move freely should they need to move fast. Their torches were off, left in the packs as they no longer needed the light in order to see. They gained enough light from those in the cavern below.

Poising themselves on the edge, they gazed below, counting the number of enemy moving around. Several doors led out of the cavern, one of which seemed to be some sort of security lab overlooking the large room, and in particular, a single cage that sat back against the wall on the far side from the three's current position. This must be where their teammates were being held.

The ledge on which they were perched was bathed in darkness, the spotlights hanging below and leaving the upper level of the cavern in a shroud of black.

"Ventilation," Kai whispered. "That is what this shaft is for."

Ray leant forward, frowning. "So how are we supposed to get down there without being spotted?"

"Along that side wall," Kai answered, gesturing. "See. There is a spot there where the beams of the spotlights seem to miss. From here there looks to be some small crevices we can use as handholds."

"Works for me," Lee agreed. "Now all we have to do is work out exactly how to go about-"

He broke off at the sound of the footstep, spinning around only to be hit hard across the face, sending him sliding backwards down the rise. Rolling, he brought himself back to his feet, wiping the blood from his lip with the back of his hand as he glared at the man who had struck him.

"Well what do we have here." The man said, eyes sparkling as the other members of his group joined him. "If it isn't the team captains. We've been expecting you. If you'll cooperate and come with us, we'll take you down to your friends."

"Sorry," Kai said, pushing himself up, eyes hard. "But I've never really understood the concept of cooperating."

Lee chuckled, a smirk sliding onto his lips. "You and me both."

With that the two boys lunged, knocking down the foremost of the group. Kai sent a closed fist into the nearest enemy, throwing himself to his feet and winding the next. One tried to grab him from behind but went flying as Ray's feet caught him dead in the chest as Ray performed Kevin's signature fighting move, landing easily on his feet and joining the fray just as alarms began to blare.

As Lee dropped his foe, he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and spotted the man that had first spoken reaching into his pocket, pulling free a gun. Lee snapped a leg up, kicking the weapon away and over the edge of the ledge. Now defenceless, the man threw himself at the neko-jin, Lee easily dodging the blow and blocking the next, sending a closed fist into the man's sternum, winding him.

Despite being unable to draw a breath, the man fought on, lashing out at Lee, who back stepped, catching him in the jaw and sending the man stumbling back. As he fell, the man realised that he was at the edge of the ledge and flayed, Lee unable to step back in time as the man caught hold of his vest, dragging them both over the edge…

~~~~*~~~~

Mariah looked up as the alarms began to blare, the others alert in an instant as their captors started to race around in a panic, those of higher rank barking orders as they went, the sound of a scuffle echoing from above. A clatter brought the heads of the beybladers around toward the far side of a cavern, the metal object bouncing once before sliding to a stop: a gun.

A scream tore its way through the enclosed space. Mariah's eyes widened as she spotted the two figures plunging toward the ground, the one that was screaming hitting it with a bone shattering thunk. The other twisted in the air gracefully, landing easily on his feet in a way that Mariah knew very few could do. He was a neko-jin. He was-

"Lee!" Mariah pushed herself up on her knees as she caught sight of the man out of the corner of her eye. "Look out!"

Lee spun around and threw himself to the side, the bullet tearing across his chest when it would have caught him in the heart moments before. He hit the ground hard, gasping at the burning pain as he gritted his teeth, all his strength leaving him as shock took hold.

Mariah watched helplessly as more weapons were drawn, levelled on her childhood friend and courageous leader. She choked back a sob at the sound of the first gunshot, only to gap as she saw one of their captors fall. He was soon followed by another as the bullets rained down from above with deadly accuracy Mariah had last seen during the hostage situation: Kai.

One of the enemy pointed. "There!"

A shot rang out followed by a mass of falling pebbles, a figure tumbling down behind them to land heavily on the cavern floor, gun clattering in front of him. He let out a string of words that Mariah was certain she should be glad she was too far away to hear as he gripped his left thigh, blood already starting to soak his pants where the bullet had caught him.

Tyson lowered himself to the ground as their captors moved forward, laughing victoriously. "We're screwed."

Mariah ignored him, instead frowning as she saw Lee reach behind his back, tossing something into the shadows while the enemy were focused on the fallen Kai. She was quickly distracted as one of the more senior members of Zika's organisation moved forward, bringing his own gun to bare

"I will take great pleasure in revenging the death of my colleagues," he hissed, raising the weapon toward Kai. "Say goodbye, Hiwatari."

Mariah jumped at the sound of the gunshot, squeezing her eyes closed, not wanting to see Kai's lifeless body. No, this was wrong. This couldn't be happening. After all they had been through, all they had survived, it couldn't end like this.

Hearing the others gasp, she forced her eyes open to find the man on the ground, gun now settled in his lifeless hand. Kai's eyebrows were at attention as he looked at him, before a knowing smirk slowly crossed his face.

"The only revenge," a voice said from the darkness, "will be mine."

All eyes turned sharply to find the figure stepping from the shadows, gun held steady in sure grip as his eyes burned. The remaining enemy turned and fled as Kai scooped up his gun, bringing down a couple more before they managed to scramble to the safety of the doorways.

But Mariah no longer cared about them, her attention instead on the figure as he lowered the gun, glaring after their foes as they vanished. She blinked, not believing what she saw, but unable to find the voice to ask the question. She heard a scuffing on the rock as Tyson moved forward, leaning against the bars, staring.

"Ray?"

* * *

chanting Ray's got a gun. Ray's got a gun. *^_^*


	28. Together

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28: Together

_moondragon-1001_: It was bound to happen. :p

_Imari_: It'd freak me out too. ^_^;;

_Jay Kamiya_: Yeap. And a dead shot at that. :p

_TigerRain_: O_o You want Ray to get hurt? Why!?

_Gothic-Wolf_: Meow indeed. And ruthless? You talking G-Rev here? Zeo's from that if I remember correctly. And if it is G-Rev... got any pictures? #^_^#

_Ethe_: Great to see you and welcome to the fic. I've seen the entire first series but only half of V-Force, and I only got to see series one by buying the VHSs. And I'm so glad you're liking this fic.

Not very often you see Ray with a gun. Now I wonder where he got it… :p 

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Disclaimer: I really don't see the point in doing this. It's just becoming something of a habit.

* * *

"Ray?"

"Hey guys." Ray flashed them a quick smile, before glancing over his shoulder toward where Lee had pushed himself up on his hand and knees, head hanging, eyes squeezed closed. "Lee…"

"Ray, free the others," Kai commanded, raising himself up onto one knee, reloading the gun. "That's your primary concern."

Ray nodded, sliding the gun into his pocket and moving toward the cage.

"Ray," Max called. "The key's on the guy you took outs belt."

Ray nodded, turning and moving back toward the man.

"Where did you get that gun?" Mariah demanded, pulling the limp Kevin into her arms and sliding her legs under her. "Answer me, Ray."

"Can it, Mariah." They looked up to see Lee glaring toward her, one hand pressed against his wound as his eyes burned. The fire dimmed as he faltered. "Kevin…"

"He's been shot," Tyson called.

"He needs to get to a medical facility immediately," Mr Dickenson agreed, moving toward the doorway as Ray fumbled with the lock. "We almost lost him this morning, and I'm afraid that if he does not receive treatment, then we might lose him for good."

Ray sighed as he opened the door. "You were right, Lee. About that bad feeling."

"I was hoping I was imagining it." Lee raised himself to his feet, looking toward Kai who had done the same. "What do you think, Phoenix? Know any quick way out?"

"From here, there's only the front door," Kai replied dryly, eyes narrowing at the sound of distant shouting. "Sounds like company. Head for the security lab, everyone. Move. _Now_."

"Ray," Lee called. "Throw me my gun."

Ray nodded, fishing the weapon from his pocket and tossing it toward Lee, who caught it easily, checking how many rounds he had left. Mariah's eyes widened as she handed Kevin to Gary, what Lee had just said slowly beginning to sink in.

"Wait a minute, _your_ gun?"

"Yeah, so? Got a problem with that?"

"Yes I have a problem with that."

"I thought I told you to can it, Mariah."

"I will _not_ can it. Where did you get it? _How_ could you get it? When your mother finds out that you've got a gun she is going to-"

"Look Mariah, now is not the time or place to get into this," Lee pointed after the others. "Now shut your trap and get moving, got that?"

Mariah glared at him but complied, following the others into the security lab. Kai was last in, closing the door and locking it, gesturing for Gary to block it off before he limped further into the room, eyes scanning the equipment. "Chief?"

Kenny looked up. "Yes Kai?"

"Think you can do something with that radio scanner?"

Kenny turned and spotted the device, grinning from ear to ear, once more in his element. "I sure can. I'll have rescue coming in no time."

"Less talking, more working."

Tyson grinned. "Aye aye, captain Kai."

"And grow up."

"Yes _sir_."

Kai rolled his eyes, turning a dropping himself in front of a computer, fingers flying across the keys as he slowly went about hacking into the network. He smirked. All these rich dictators had one thing in common: they all used the same software. He had hacked into his grandfather's system years ago, learning every back door and trick to go undetected. Getting into Zika's files would be child's play.

Lee and Ray moved to where Gary had set Kevin down against the wall, kneeling by their old friend's side. Ray reached forward and gently tugged at Kevin's shirt, bringing the wound into view and causing the two elder neko-jin to intake sharply. They exchanged a glance, expression speaking more then words.

"He was saving me." They glanced back and spotted Mariah standing behind them, a saddened expression on her face. "I left my purse in the training room and went back for it. These men came out of nowhere and cornered me, trying to grab me. The others came and… Kevin got angry and he… he attacked them…" She wiped a tear from her eye, fighting to remain calm. "He allowed me to escape and they… and they… shot him."

Lee sighed, shaking his head and looking down at the younger teen, smoothing his hair. "Always the brave one."

"Like someone else I know," Ray said softly, looking at Lee. "You really should get that seen to."

"Yes, Lee," Mariah agreed, kneeling beside them. "You're bleeding bad-"

"Later." Lee shot first her a look, then Ray, gaze telling them to be silent. "I'll get checked out once this is over. Right now we don't have the time."

Mariah slid up against the wall and cradled Kevin against her, the other two neko-jin watching curiously with a small amount of envy. Mariah gently caressed Kevin's face, the teen mewing softly, causing her to blink. "Kevin?"

Lee leant forward. "I'm here, Kevin. We'll get you out of here, my friend."

"Hn." They looked up to see Kai grinning, eyes sparkling with evil intent as he gazed at the screen. Before anyone could ask him what was the matter, he glanced back at them. "All rich bastards use the same software. I've got complete access to Zika's files and facility information." He glanced at Kenny. "Got that thing working yet?"

"Almost." Kenny looked up. "Think you can feed us through to a satellite dish?"

Kai's fingers flew across the keys at a rapid speed, causing Tyson to gawk. "Done."

"Let me give you the BBA channel," Mr Dickenson said, joining Kenny as the nerd began to twist knobs.

Shaking his head in wonderment, Tyson leant up against a bench, noticing a box sitting on it. He gazed at it for a moment before curiosity won out over logic and he tugged at the latches, lifting the lid. His eyes lid up as he took in the contents. "Heeey! Our Beyblades! Sweet!"

"Seriously?" Max joined him, plucking a green blade from the collection. "Draciel! All right!"

"You'd think they'd know not to give American's sugar," Kai muttered, eyes narrowing as he plucked another disk from the stack he had found, downloading all of Zika's files onto them and setting them into a box. He smirked. "But then, they were dumb enough to take me on." He glanced over his shoulder. "Chief?"

"Mr Dickenson's talking to the BBA right now," Kenny replied. "They're sending out a rescue team." He paused, slapping a hand against his forehead. "Oh no! We don't know where we are!"

Lee reached into his pocket, pulling out Kai's note and standing, crossing the room and handing it to Mr Dickenson. "Here. It's the address of this dump."

Kai glanced at Lee as the elder teen leant heavily against a bench, one hand pressed against his wound, blood seeping out from between his fingers. Kai's leg faired no better. The bullet had lodged itself somewhere in his thigh, and every movement felt like fire was tearing through it. Well, at least it wasn't as bad as last time.

"Guys." They turned toward Gary who was standing watching the many screens plastered along one wall. He pointed to an image. "What's that?"

Kai looked up, eyes widening. "Shit."

"I don't like it when you say that," Tyson said, glancing at him.

"Everyone try and get under cover," Kai said, pulling the last disk from the drive and switching the computer off, sliding the box into one of his pockets and grabbing his gun. "We've got company coming."

* * *

__

Eclipse had a standoff. And this one will have a good old-fashioned shoot out. Yeehaw. ^_^

Quick note: sorry for not updating sooner, but the login on FF.N was down last night.


	29. Shootout

****

29: Shootout

_Ms Hobgoblin_: Intense? Entirely my intention. ^_^

_Gothic-Wolf_: I've only seen half of V-Force. They cut the series off. And now they won't answer my emails... MEOW!!!

_TigerRain_: Heh heh. No torture in this fic. As for killing Zika...

_Imari_: He got shot all right. In the leg. And Lee got grazed across the chest.

_Jay Kamiya_: Not getting better? We'll see. ^_~

_Acey1_: So do I.

_Ethe_: Bleed to death...

Nothing like guns blazing, ducking behind cover, bodies flying back full of lead… what a sweet thing it is. ^_^

****

Disclaimer: I wonder if it will carry over into other stories? I hope not. Running out of ideas here…

* * *

The room was a flurry of movement as they all dived for cover, Gary scooping up Kevin and joining Mariah, Tyson, and Max behind the counter Tyson had been leaning against moments before. Mr Dickenson knelt behind the desk, Kenny sliding under it. Ray lingered back as Kai and Lee moved forward, checking their guns. Lee glanced at him, making a gesture for Ray to get under cover. Ray nodded, shooting Lee a 'be careful' look before sliding behind a counter near the others.

Lee dropped behind a crate as Kai knelt behind a counter closer to the doorway that led out into the corridor. Both had a clean line-of-fire toward the doorway, their positions crossing over each other meaning that Kai could take out those on the right, while Lee could take out those on the left. The two shot each other a look as the roar of the outraged enemy drew closer, the door shifting under the strain as they tried to break it down.

Kai let his gaze move around the room, making sure all his teammates were safely under cover. He nodded with satisfaction in seeing that they were, his eyes narrowing as he took in an object sitting on the table not far from where he crouched. Smirking, he dived across to the table, snatching up the object before returning to his position, ignoring the pain in his leg as he flipped open the lid.

"Hey, Dizzi."

"Well about time you showed up." The interface burned to life, familiar and welcome. "I was starting to think you had deserted me."

"You know, that's not such a bad idea."

"Hey!"

"Need you to do something for me." Kai glanced over his shoulder. "Think you can monitor all the arseholes who come through that door?"

"Well, I've never been asked to monitor 'arseholes' before-"

"Dizzi." Kai glared at her.

"Okay, okay. Yes, I can keep track of everyone who comes through that door. I can even give you a reading on height, gender, and weight. Want me to tell you what they had for breakfast?"

"This is serious."

"Oh come off it, sourpuss. I'm just trying to lighten the mood." A pause. "You know, this is kind of exciting."

Kai smirked, setting her down beside him as he glanced around the corner. "I know what you mean."

With a crash the door buckled, crumpling as it collapsed into the room. Dizzi quickly rattled off the numbers over the noise, Kai calling them across to Lee who raised his gun in a salute. The two waited for a second before swinging around the edge of their cover, blasting the foremost of the group. Their aim was true, taking down five apiece before they were forced to protect themselves.

"There's one trying to move around the outer wall!" Dizzi yelled.

"He's mine," Lee replied, glancing around the corner as Kai layed down covering fire. Spotting the man, Lee brought up his weapon and aimed, the bullet catching the man in the back of the head and leaving a red mark on the wall as the enemy slumped to the ground. Lee pulled himself back behind the crate as a bullet bounced off the edge in a shower of sparks. "Don't need to worry about him no more."

Kai nodded, reloading his gun as Lee took down the next few. "We almost done, Dizzi?"

"Almost done? You're barely getting started. There's a whole bunch of them just joining them. And… uh-oh. They've got a whopping big gun they're setting up out there."

"Big gun?" Kai frowned, mind buzzing as he tried to recall his training. "Shit. Machine gun. And I'm talking anti-tank machine gun before you say anything." Kai leant around the corner, taking down a couple more. "This could be a problem."

"They're starting to get smart," Lee called across. "They're using the doorway as cover."

Kai nodded, patting his pockets. "I'm getting short on ammo."

"Yeah, me too." Lee winced as a bullet bounced off the ground beside him. "Think they've worked out where we are."

"Agreed." A glass shattered over Kai's head, sending shards down on him.

"Don't seem to care about collateral damage, do they."

A computer screen exploded, causing Kai to raise an eyebrow. "Not really."

"Here comes trouble," Dizzi spoke up. "I suggest you start ducking now."

A roar filled the air, Mariah letting out a shriek as the bullets tore through the room, destroying everything in their path. Kai's eyes widened as a hole appeared in the counter by his head. "Not good."

Lee slid lower to the ground, firing a few rounds down the corridor, not knowing if he hit anything as the room had started to fill with smoke and flickering light. "Problem."

"I noticed."

Lee gasped as the top of the crate erupted, blowing back as the trail of bullets moved across it. "Friggin hell!"

"You okay?"

"I won't be if they make another pass." Lee brushed bits of metal from his hair, grip tightening on his gun. He growled. "Now I'm starting to get angry."

Kai's eyes narrowed, a quiet realisation and acceptance flickering through his mind. "On three?"

"On three."

"Wait!" Dizzi's voice portrayed the fear that she was unable to express facially. "Charging at them will be suicide!"

"That's the idea." Kai pushed himself up. "One."

Lee nodded, setting himself. "Two."

Kai opened his mouth, only to pause as the sound increased, the bullets tearing into the room ceasing. He raised his head up over the edge of the counter, peering into the smoke.

"What the hell?" Lee looked around the corner.

Kai glanced down at the laptop. "Dizzi?"

"Don't ask me. All the electrical interference is messing with my sensors."

The sound died, a deafening silence rolling amongst the smoke and fire, the echoing of approaching footsteps moving toward them. Kai and Lee readied themselves, hair plastered to their faces as Lee's fangs glittering in the flickering light. This was their last round. After this…

"Mr Stanley Dickenson." The voice was clear and controlled, underlined with authority. "This is Colonel Harry Brennan of the United States Army. Our base was contacted by the BBA and we were sent to rescue you."

"And about time," Tyson called, standing. "I'm starving."

* * *

Rescue! But it isn't over yet. Na-ah. This is far from over…


	30. Food for Thought

****

30: Food For Thought

_TigerRain_: Was your capslock stuck on or are you really that desperate for more Kai/Ray/Lee? :p

_Anonymous Cherry_: Saved sorta? Actually, completely saved... except for maybe Kev, but... yeah. ^_^

_Ms Hobgoblin_: The first shootout? And I remember someone saying mine was the first major car pileup they had seen... what's going on? Surely this can't be the case. :p

_moondragon-1001_: Tyson thinking about something other than food... well, I do believe he thinks about blading. :p

_Imari_: The bad people.... I hope O_o

_Jay Kamiya_: Like it, hm?

_Yoh Asakura_: Calm down, calm down. No killing in this fic unless it is done by me, understand? *^_^*

_the tigris_: Not over, no. But almost.

_Gothic-Wolf_: A minute alone... yeah right. Like _that_ will ever happen. Meow! :p

Sorry for the delay in updating, but first FanFiction.Net wouldn't work, then my internet didn't work, then I had lots of homework for uni... but anyway, good to see all my readers back. ^_^

Well, they've been rescued, and let's just say that a couple of characters have but one thing on their mind…

****

Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own them.

* * *

"Tyson, you're starting to make me feel sick."

"I'm sorry, Kenny," Tyson swallowed, reaching for another leg of chicken. "But I went almost a week without any decent food, and I need to make up for lost time."

Mariah crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at one of her teammates. "Gary, have you ever heard of a _fork_."

"Huh?" Gary looked up, a sandwich in each hand. "Uh… it's too little. Get more if I use my fingers."

Kai and Lee shot each other sympathetic looks as they sipped their drinks, Ray catching it and chuckling. Returning his attention back toward the layout of food in front of them, he caught something out of the corner of his eye. "Ah, Max, do you really think you should be eating all that ice-cream and caramel?"

Kai's eyes widened.

Max looked up, spoon halfway to his mouth. "But it's so good. Besides, I figured that since it's free, then I should get as much of it as I can. I've already had about three bowls," he patted his stomach. "I think I could get around three more."

As he lowered his spoon toward the bowl, Kai was on his feet, reaching across the table to snatch the bowl away from him, setting it down as far from the American as possible. Kai glared at Max's hurt look, growling. "If I catch you eating any more of this, you'll be training 24/7 for the next _month_, got that?"

Max nodded, dumbfounded. His hand reached for the donuts, but stopped as Kai's glare hardened. He changed direction, picking up a piece of chicken instead and relaxing as Kai nodded.

Tyson looked toward Kai. "Well, nice to see _you_ back to your old grumpy self."

Kai shrugged, picking up his drink again.

"Mr Dickenson's just finished talking to doctors," Kenny said, joining them. "They want to keep Kai and Lee another night for observation, but the rest of us have been cleared to go home."

Lee scowled. "Great. More hospital food."

Ray smiled. "I'll smuggle you in some chocolate."

"Make sure it's one of those extra large blocks," Kai spoke up.

"With choc chip," Lee agreed.

"And plenty of caramel."

"Got it. Extra large choc chip with caramel. I'll see what I can do." Ray smirked. "Hope you guys don't get sugar high."

"Yeah right." Lee picked up a biscuit. "Like that ever happens."

Mariah frowned, looking toward Kai and cocking her head to the side. "You look different without those blue triangles painted on your face."

Kai looked to the side. "So I've been told."

Ray and Lee looked away, covering their smiles.

"It's good to be able to shave," Ray said, rubbing at his face. "That stubble was starting to drive me mad."

"You should have seen Gary and Mr D," Tyson agreed. "They were scratching all the time. It can't have been _that_ annoying."

"You wait," Lee said, looking across at him. "In a few years you'll be singing a different tune."

Mariah frowned, looking toward him. "Lee, about that gun…"

"My father gave it to me," Lee said, shooting her a warning look. "End of story. So don't you _dare_ mention it to my mother."

"You haven't got a bad aim," Kai said. "It's a little off, but nothing a few hours practice can't fix."

"So you and me have a date with the shooting range then?"

Kai smiled faintly. "Perhaps."

Ray smiled at the hidden meaning to the exchange, changing the 'with' in Lee's question to an 'at' in his mind. He felt a little left out, but mentally shrugged it off. They'd make up for it later. He looked up as Tyson said his name, letting his thoughts slide as he focused once more on the present. "Yeah?"

"I couldn't believe it when I realised it was _you_ who had fired that gun," Tyson said. "It's so… out of character for you."

"Oh yeah? Well that just proves that you should never piss me off." Ray grinned at him, then let his face soften as he sighed. "I kinda hope I never have to do it again. I only did it because I had to. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I had just stayed hidden and let my friends die."

"You did good, Ray," Lee said, smiling warmly. "You did good."

"Thanks Lee."

"Almost time to go, kids." They looked up as Mr Dickenson approached the table, beaming down at them. "It's starting to get late, and visiting hours will end soon."

"Aw, come on Mr D." Tyson looked up, eyes wide. "We've still got all this food to eat. Can't the hospital leave the café open just a _little_ longer?"

"I'm sorry Tyson, but rules are rules." Mr Dickenson looked toward the two team captains. "You boys will be sharing a room with Kevin. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Lee replied, stretching, then wincing as he pulled the muscles on his chest a little too tight. "I would have been ticked off if it had been any other way."

"Kai?"

"Fine."

Tyson snickered. "Heh heh. You've got to share a room with Kai? I really feel for you there, Lee."

Kai shot him a glare.

Max grinned. "Yeah. Just be careful. He might bite."

Ray smiled behind his hand. '_Actually, _Lee's_ the one that bites._'

Kai glared at his teammates. "In case you've forgotten, Lee, Ray, and I have been sharing a room for a few weeks now."

Ray nodded, leaning back in his seat. "That's true. And we spent the last few days travelling through a cave together. We learnt a lot about each other. I mean, you wouldn't believe my surprise when I discovered that Kai can co-" He jumped as Kai kicked him hard in the shin.

Tyson's eyes widened. "Cook? You were going to say 'cook'?" He looked sharply at his team captain. "You can cook?"

Kai glared at him. "Ask me that again and I'll beat you senseless with a frying pan."

"Yeah. Sure." Tyson shovelled some more food into his mouth.

Mariah looked up at Mr Dickenson, brushing her hair back behind her ears. "Is there any news on Kevin?"

"There is, actually." Mr Dickenson smiled. "The doctor informed me that Kevin pulled through surgery excellently, and that all the damage is repaired. He's responding well to treatment, and is now in a stable condition. He's going to be just fine."

Mariah grinned. "That's… that's great! Lee, did you hear that?"

"I heard." Lee nodded, smiling. "He always was a stubborn little monkey. Is he conscious?"

"Not as yet, I'm afraid." Mr Dickenson tugged at his moustache. "They're predicting that he should wake up any day now. At the moment though, it is time for us to leave." He smiled at the whining, trying not to laugh. "Come along then."

They stood, grumbling as they went, leaving Kai and Lee remaining in their seats. The group chorused their goodbyes, Ray hanging back as the others disappeared out the doorway. "Love you, guys."

Lee smiled. "You too."

Kai looked at him, a small smile of his own flickering across his lips. "See you tomorrow… right before you get back to your training."

Lee laughed as Ray shook his head grinning. As soon as Ray was gone, Lee turned to Kai. "You truly are the sentimental kind, Phoenix."

Kai simply shrugged and reached for Max's untouched bowl of ice-cream and caramel.

* * *

A little bit of everything in that chapter. Hopefully the next one will be more organised. Anyone like to review? General comments?


	31. Whispers in the Night

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31: Whispers in the Night

_Anonymous Cherry_: Yes, I like noodles too. :p

_moondragon-1001_: Okay, that's it, you're going on a sugar free diet. ^_~

_Lady Snowblossom:_ He might have killed Ray, yes. But he did it so creatively. *^_^*

_Ms Hobgoblin_: Mm-hm. Chocolate with choc chips and biscuit flakes. Yummy. Oh, and I don't think Lee would like Tyson, though I'm sure Kai wouldn't mind. Undecided on Ray. -_-;;

_Khnum_: I skipped the boring bit. Besides, what happened after the army arrived wasn't important, and we never see that sort of thing on the show anyway, have you noticed? And I'm glad you're liking this.

_Imari_: Kai's just lashing out. Besides, he just gives the orders. Doesn't mean he has to follow them. :p

_the tigris_: Yep. Yummy ice cream.

_Jay Kamiya_: Thank you!!!

_bmw_: O_O Kai is going to _kill _you!!!

Poor little Ray has to go home to an empty room. Kai and Lee, however, have each other and a poor little hurt monkey. And at least Ray will get some peace and quiet.

****

Disclaimer: Not yet, either.

* * *

Lee lay back in the hard bed, staring at the ceiling. Light poured through the open doorway from the dimmed lights in the corridor, Kevin's heart monitor beeping softly. Footsteps echoed down the hallway, a buzzing as someone hit their attention button yet again, almost driving Lee mad. He growled, draping an arm over his eyes and wondering if it would be possible for him to get earplugs.

"Can't sleep either, hm?"

"Can _anyone_ sleep in a hospital?"

"Depends on how much morphine they give you."

"Morphine? Think I can get some?"

"We should ask. Besides, it would be funny to see you doped up."

Lee opened his eyes, glaring through the semi-darkness toward the bed by the wall. "It's amazing the things you find amusing, Kai."

"I have plans of spiking my teams drinks."

Lee chuckled. "Now _that_ will be entertaining."

They lay in the darkness, a buzzer going off again, causing Lee to growl in annoyance. Hearing a rustling, he glanced to the side to see Kai slipping from his bed. The Russian gathered up his crutches and moved toward the door, closing it gently, instantly halving the light spilling into the room and muffling the noises.

Lee smiled faintly, closing his eyes. "Thank you."

"We really should shove the buzzer button down whoever it is' throat."

"Well, I _would_ say Mariah, but she's not here."

"What makes you say that?"

"Don't tell me you didn't see that male nurse."

He heard Kai laugh softly. "I must have missed him while I was checking out that lady doctor."

"Tease."

The room was silent for a moment, before Kai spoke again. "Got a question for you."

"Yeah?"

"Why me?"

Lee raised an eyebrow. "Guess I like the things I can't have."

"Doesn't answer the question, Yin."

Lee glanced to the side and spotted Kai sitting on the edge of his bed. "Well the real answer isn't any better. I don't know why Ray and I decided to chase you. Well, maybe that's not true. You're as hot as hell."

"Hn." Kai tried to fight his smile but lost the battle. "You're right, still doesn't answer the question."

"Is there any pleasing you?"

"Not really."

"Figures." Lee smirked. "Thing is, we both liked you, we both wanted you, so we decided to go after you. We wanted to keep each other at the same time, so we figured we'd just get you in on our relationship."

"And exactly where do I fit in?"

"That's really up to you." Lee knitted his fingers together behind his head, careful not to pull his chest too much as he closed his eyes. "Where do any of us fit in life?"

"Philosopher, leader, and all round hot-head."

"Look who's talking Mr 'who-gives-a-shit-about-anything-or-anyone'."

"Charming." Kai sat in silence for a while, then looked toward the other bed. "So how _did_ Ray and you get together?"

Lee chuckled. "Ray and I have been best friends since before I can remember. We were inseparable. When we were about nine, we both developed this crush on Mariah, and spent every day competing with each other. Almost ruined our friendship." He paused, frowning. "I'm not sure about Ray, but when I was about 13 I started to realise that Ray was kind of, well, _cute_. I began to look forward to seeing him, even going out of my way to make sure we got paired together on projects and errands.

"Well, one day I woke up to discover that what I used to feel for Mariah I now felt for Ray. To be perfectly honest I was terrified, because Ray was a…"

"A guy," Kai finished. "You figured it was wrong, that you would get into trouble. That people would call you a freak."

"Exactly." Lee sighed. "I didn't know who to turn to, and I couldn't keep it to myself. I had to talk to _someone_, and Ray wasn't an option." He shrugged. "I went to Gary. I told him how I felt, how confused I was. He may be a bit slow, but Gary is really rather clever… and a great friend. He told me that I shouldn't feel bad about the way I felt, that I would never be a freak to him. Anyone that said I was just didn't understand.

"One day, while we were on treasure hunt when I was 15, Gary lead Ray and I into a cave to find this rock on our list. We'd been put together you see. Gary usually worked with Kevin but Kevin was sick that day." Lee closed his eyes, smiling. "Gary directed Ray and I into this small nook in the cave, telling us he thought he could see it but was too big to get it. As soon as we were inside, Gary sat in front of the exit and wouldn't let us leave.

"He looked at us and told us that he was sick of our running, that it was time that we told the truth. To begin with I had no idea what he meant, but then it became perfectly clear: he was talking about my feelings for Ray. Me being me, I refused to give them up so easy. Ray and I had the perfect friendship, and I didn't want to destroy it by telling Ray I had a crush on him. I was sure Ray would freak out and never speak to me again. You can guess my surprise when Ray broke first and admitted he had a crush on _me_.

"Apparently he had done what I had: gone to Gary because there was no one else we could turn to. Gary had through we would eventually tell each other on our own, but we were both to scared so he decided to push the issue. After Ray had finished, he had looked away and said 'I don't blame you if you hate me and never want to speak to me again'. I didn't know what to say. Gary just looked at me and said 'tell him', so I did.

"I told Ray that I was love with him and had been for the last couple of years. Ray was shocked, and we just sat and stared at each other forever. I can't remember exactly when Gary left, but he did. Ray and I just looked at each even after we knew he had gone; though I felt like running away. Next thing I knew, I was kissing Ray, and I tell you it felt good." Lee smirked. "He tastes good too. Almost like sugar."

"I'll agree with that." Kai looked at the elder teen almost hidden in the darkness. "So you went through what I went through: the doubt, the self-questioning."

"All part of the process, Phoenix."

Kai moved across the room, kissing Lee gently. "So what do _I_ taste like?"

Lee thought for a moment. "I really don't know. Tangy, I can tell you that." He smirked. "Yummy."

"_Who's_ the tease?" Kai kissed him again. "You're spicy."

"Spicy, hm? I like that." Lee reached up, trailing his fingers over the contours of Kai's face. "Sweet, spicy, and tangy. Quite a combination we have going there."

"Yeah." Kai stifled a yawn. "Believe it or not, I'm getting tired."

"With the door closed, we might actually be able to sleep." Lee stole another kiss before Kai moved back toward his own bed. "Right about now I envy Ray for his soft mattress and pillows."

"He probably envies the both of us for each other."

"Well if it weren't for the nurses, I'd be over in your bed about now."

"No room."

"We could get around it."

Kai smirked as he settled back between the thin sheets. "As much as I'm curious to know how you _would_ get around it, we'd better not. Get some sleep, kitten. Tomorrow we'll see about getting out of here."

"Works for me. Night, Phoenix."

* * *

Two chapters to go…


	32. Recovery

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32: Recovery

_moondragon-1001_: No sugar free? You're going to like this chapter. ^_^

_bmw_: When will Kevin wake up? Well...

_TigerRain_: Computers are pains in the arses... too bad we rely on them so much. More Kai/Ray/Lee? Eh... -_-

_Gothic-Wolf:_ I agree. _Great_ combination. ^_^

_Jay Kamiya_: I hate hospitals too. Bad experiences. _

_the tigris_: You bad bad person! Get to work! :p

Almost at the end of this story, oh ye faithful. This is the second last chapter. And I tell you, the road has been long and steady, but the end is almost in sight.

****

Disclaimer: Nope, still nothing.

* * *

There was a clean smell to the air, the kind that tickled your nose making you want to sneeze. The air was crisp and dry, yet cool without being cold. A warmth flowed over him, the surface he lay upon hard, his back aching from having lain there for too long. His stomach felt tight, yet no longer burned with pain. His eyelids glowed red with a light he knew had to be sunlight, not the artificial light he had been under for so long.

He forced his eyes open, the roof - was it the roof? - a brilliant clean white. He frowned, trying to figure out how he had come to be here… wherever here was.

"Well well, what do we have here?"

He blinked. That voice… "Lee?"

"Nice to have you back, Kev."

Kevin looked to the side, finding his longtime friend and leader slouching back in a chair by his bed, magazine lowered as his orange-yellow eyes sparkled. "It _is_ you."

"Sure is, Monkey. Didn't think I'd let that Zika guy kill you did you?" Lee raised an eyebrow. "If anyone kills you, it's going to be me."

Kevin laughed. "I thought you would never come." He frowned. "What's with that shirt?"

Lee looked down at the dark baggy blue shirt he wore. "The nurses refused to let me walk around shirtless. They said something about me needing to keep my wound warm. Also, it kinda got infected…"

Kevin frowned. "Wound?"

"Don't think you were the only one who got shot."

"Oh come off it, Yin." They looked up to see Kai enter the room, parcel under one arm as he easily moved around on his crutches. "You only got grazed."

Lee smirked. "You're just not happy cause the doctors told you to cut back on the lead in your diet."

Kai had to smile as he made his way to his bed, leaning his crutches against the side as he sat down, tearing open the parcel and reaching inside.

Lee looked up. "Is that a Mars Bar?"

Kai shot a look at him. "Get your own."

Kevin smiled sweetly. "Kai…"

"You can get your own as well."

Kevin looked toward Lee. "So what have I missed?"

"Nothing much. Me and Kai getting shot, a shootout, getting rescued by the army…"

"You forget Ray shooting that other guy," Kai spoke up.

Kevin's eyes widened. "Ray… _shot_ someone?"

"Killed him too."

Kevin sighed. "I always miss out on all the good stuff."

Lee looked up toward Kai, glaring at him as he realised Kai had finished his Mars Bar and moved onto a Milky Way. He returned his attention to Kevin. "Mariah told us about what you did. That was stupid Kevin."

Kevin slumped. "I know."

"However I would have strangled you if you _hadn't _done it." Lee smiled at Kevin's shocked look. "For once Kev, you did something right. If I had been in your shoes, I would have done the same."

"You're not… mad at me?"

"Actually, I'm proud." Lee raised an eyebrow. "Next time remember to keep moving."

"Trust me, I will."

Kai looked up at the clock. "We've got just under half an hour."

Kevin looked at him. "Til what?"

"Til we get mobbed," Lee answered, stretching, then wincing, rubbing his chest. "Gotta stop doing that."

"You'll split the stiches again if you're not careful," Kai said, dropping the Milky Way rapper beside the Mars Bar one, reaching into his parcel and revealing a Time Out.

Lee raised an eyebrow. "If I'm not mistaken, that has _two_-"

"Don't even bother, cause the answer is still 'no'."

Kevin gestured toward Kai. "So what happened to him?"

"Shot in the leg," Lee answered, glaring at Kai. "Looks like his sweet tooth is fine though."

Kai looked up, smirking before making a show of taking a bite of his Time Out, causing Lee to growl and give him the finger.

"Gah." Kevin narrowed his eyes, shooting a look at Lee. "He's teasing us, isn't he."

"Yes, and if he wants to get out of this hospital anytime soon, then I suggest he had better stop it."

Kai shrugged, finishing the Time Out and pulling out a packet of Skittles.

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "And this is the guy that whinges about _Max_ eating too much sugar?"

"Where did you get those, anyway?" Lee asked.

"The cafeteria." Kai answered. "And no, Ray hasn't brought any yet."

Kevin frowned. "Ray's coming?"

"And the rest of 'em," Lee replied. "I'll make sure Max doesn't bounce on your bed."

"Could you get me those electric thingys that jump start hearts?" Kevin grinned. "That'd stop him."

Lee chuckled. "Probably would. But I think it would stop his heart as well."

"No loss," Kai spoke up. "He might have won the American Tournament for us, but Max is our weakest link."

"Nah. I still think its Tyson." Curiosity finally got the better of Kevin as he peeked under the sheet at his stomach. "Think they could put any more bandages?"

Lee lifted up his shirt, revealing his own collection. "I think it's their speciality."

Kevin frowned, noticing something else. "Um, Lee… why am I naked?"

Before Lee could answer, the door opened, a nurse coming into the room. Quicker then the eye could see Kai had the parcel under his pillow and the wrappers in his pocket. Kevin dropped his sheet, looking up at the nurse who smiled when she saw him. "Well hello. The doctors will be pleased to hear that you are awake."

Kevin smiled hopefully. "When can I get out of bed?"

"I'll have to find out for you." She looked at Lee, then toward Kai. "Just thought I had better inform you that your friends won't be visiting today. Their bus seems to have broken down, which also means you will have to stay another night. I'm sorry if that causes any problems, but I'm afraid that there is nothing we can do."

"No, that's fine." Lee looked toward Kai as the other rolled his eyes. "We're allowed out of the room, right? To eat I mean."

"Of course. Mr Dickenson has already arranged both lunch and dinner for you both in the café. Is there anything you need at the moment?"

"No, we're right thanks."

She nodded, turning. "I'll go see the doctor to see if you're allowed up. I won't be long."

As soon as the door closed, Kevin raised an eyebrow. "She's cute."

Lee looked down at him. "She's also about 10-15 years older then you."

"All I said was she was cute. You didn't have to jump down my throat. Why do you _always_ do that?"

"I didn't jump down your throat. I just pointed out the fact she was older then you."

"I got shot in the gut, Lee. My eyes are fine, I _can_ see."

"Don't you start, Kevin-"

They broke off as something landed on Kevin's chest. Looking down, they spotted a packet of peanut centred M&M's. They looked toward Kai, who was searching through his parcel before tossing another pack of the same to land next to the first. Spotting them looking at him, he shrugged.

"I don't like peanuts."

* * *

Bet you'd never think you'd see the day that Kai got a sugar fix. Well there's a first time for everything. :p


	33. Reunion

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33: Reunion

_Chartreuse Bunny_: Well you've seen it now! :p

_bmw_: I'm obsessed with keeping people in character, and the Kai on a sugar fix? Well, I was just in for some fun. *^_^*

_Gothic-Wolf_: This is the last update. I'm afraid. And there _is_ as sequel called _Believe_, but it isn't complete, so I will not be putting it up as yet. You could say I have a block. _

_Jay Kamiya_: Yes, I missed Kevvy too. ^_^

_the tigris_: Yes, it can get confusing. I hope you get it right. My fingers are crossed for you. ^_^

_Imari_: A Time Out consists of two thin chocolate sticks of wafers with flake inside and made by Cadbury. Not to be confused with Kit Kats. ^_~

Well here we are. The last chapter. Hopefully this has been better then _Eclipse_ and that you've all enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to add their comments and reviews to this story: your opinion is highly valued and appreciated. Well, enough babbling, and on with the story.

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Disclaimer: The end of the story, and I still don't own the characters.

* * *

Tyson sighed, poking at his food as he sat with the others in restaurant of the hotel. "You know, it's been kind of boring not having Kai around. I hate to say it, but I actually miss him."

"Well he's coming back today," Kenny reminded him. "So I would advise you to stay as far away from him as his crutches reach. Unless of course you are looking to earn some serious bruises."

"They're going to let him keep them?" Max's eyes widened as he poured maple syrup onto his pancakes.

"At least until they decide he's allowed to walk without them," Kenny replied. "We will also be staying in the hotel for another couple of weeks until they are all given the 'all clear' from the hospital. That, and their staples are removed."

"You know, it's kind of freaky how they use staples," Tyson said, pushing his fork into a bit of bacon. "They look just like the kind that you can buy at stationary shops. I know they're the special hospital ones, but it's still freaky."

"They leave less of a scar when they're removed," Ray reminded them, speaking for the first time that morning. "But I agree with you Tyson, they are freaky."

Mariah looked up from her place between Gary and Ray as Mr Dickenson approached. "Was that the hospital that called? Is there any news on Kevin?"

"It was the hospital, yes." Mr Dickenson settled into his chair, picking up his cup of coffee. "No news on Kevin I'm afraid, but apparently Kai and Lee demanded first thing this morning to be brought back to the hotel. I spoke to Kai on the phone last night and he sounded rather irritated."

"When _isn't_ Kai irritated," Tyson muttered.

"When he's beating the crap out of you," Ray replied, smiling faintly. "He seems to rather enjoy doing that."

Mariah looked at Ray. "Kind of like Lee and Kevin."

"Pretty much."

"Kevin usually deserves it," Gary reminded them. "He's always getting himself into trouble."

"So does Tyson," Kenny said with a smile.

Tyson pushed himself up. "Just what is that supposed to mean!"

"Calm down, boys." Mr Dickenson frowned, looking out the window of the restaurant. "Ah, here we are."

They turned, spotting the black car pulling up the driveway toward the main entranceway of the building. It rounded the bend, disappearing as it moved from view.

"Like I said," Mr Dickenson stood, smoothing his shirt, "Kai and Lee demanded first thing this morning to leave, so I organised for one of the BBA cars to pick them up. Seems they're bringing a bit of a surprise back for us as well, if what the head nurse told me is correct."

Tyson frowned. "A surprise? What kind of surprise?"

"Come along and see for yourself."

They exchanged glances as Mr Dickenson moved toward the foyer before following him. Stepping into the entranceway of the hotel, they heard the distinctive voices of Kai and Lee as they entered through the front doors, as well as the voice of…

Mariah let out a shriek of joy, dashing forward and throwing her arms around the green-haired imp, who laughed, hugging her back. Ray and Gary laughed, hurrying to greet their childhood friend as the others stared in shock before moving to join them.

"Easy Mariah, you're going to crush me," Kevin looked up and smiled as she let him go, only to find himself pulled backward into a bear hug. "Gary!"

"Great to see you, Kev," Ray said, reaching out to pat Kevin's head.

"Hey, watch the hair," Kevin swatted his hand away. "How many times do I have to tell you, Ray?"

Lee smirked. "He listens to you about as much as you do to me: never."

"Ha ha, very funny."

"Great to see you, buddy." Tyson grinned from ear to ear, extending a hand which Kevin took. "You certainly gave us a scare back there."

Kevin's eye twitched. "They told me… that I died. I didn't want to believe it."

"Well, that's all past," Mr Dickenson said. "You're all alive and well, which is what really matters. Now all you need is some rest and relaxation to get you all back to perfect health. A month or more in the country should do it."

"But we don't have that time," Kenny said, clutching his laptop against his chest. "The Finals in Russia start in just a few weeks."

"Actually, they've been postponed while the BBA goes about looking into some new security options," Mr Dickenson told them. "Recent events have been attracting a lot of criticism from the media and public, and until we can find a way to fix the problem, there will be no events held anywhere in the world."

"Wow." Max blinked. "This is really serious, isn't it."

"Indeed it is. We cannot risk the lives of any of the bladers in the world, let alone our best." Mr Dickenson pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Kenny. "In the meantime, this is what I have planed."

Kenny's eyes widened. "You weren't kidding about the month in the country. A two-story country lodge all to ourselves for a month-and-a-half, including an indoor heated swimming pool, a spa, a swimming spot in walking distance, several bush trails, and a home theatre system?" Kenny looked up. "But how-"

"It's owned by the BBA," Mr Dickenson told them. "Visiting officials and executives often stay there. I myself have stayed there on several occasions, and I can assure you that it is very relaxing. You won't be bothered by fans or media, so you can concentrate on recovering."

"This is all very well, but what about-"

"Training facilities are available Kenny, but the main priority is to rest and relax." Mr Dickenson's eyes fell on the team leaders. "Understand me, boys?"

Kai sighed, mentally throwing his training schedule out the window. "Fine."

"Yeah yeah," Lee muttered, shaking his head. A whole month down the drain…

"Good." Mr Dickenson turned. "I've already arranged for two specially hired servants to see to your every need, so once I receive the phonecall from the hospital giving the go-ahead, you will be off to the country."

They watched him go, Ray turning toward the three invalids. "We should see about getting you three up to your rooms-"

"Later Ray," Kevin said, looking fondly toward the restaurant. "First, get me some food. All I've had for the last day is that stuff the hospital comes out with. I literally bounced the brussels sprouts off the wall."

"We were just in the middle of breakfast," Tyson said. "We'd be glad if you'd come join us." He looked up. "Kai and Lee are invited as well."

Lee smirked. "Kai's probably still sick from all that chocolate he ate yesterday."

"I _wasn't_ sick," Kai glared at him. "Besides, it wasn't the chocolate. It was that god damned curry they gave us."

"Whatever you reckon, Phoenix. I still say it was the chocolate."

"I've finished breakfast," Mariah said, smiling. "I think I'll go back to my room for a while." She look down at Kevin, her smile widening. "It's good to have you back, Kevin."

Reaching out, she cupped Kevin's face in her hands, bringing her lips down onto his in a gentle kiss. Pulling back, she grinned at his stunned look of surprise, then turned and moved toward the stairs, flicking her pink hair behind her.

Kevin gaped, the others staring in shock. Blinking, he frowned, narrowing his eyes as he let his gaze sweep over the group, suspicion etching into his features.

"Alright, who spiked her drink?"

* * *

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Dekiagaru (Finish)

Well, it's over. And in case you're wondering, that brussels sprout thing is true. When I was in hospital last year, my now ex-boyfriend did just that with my lunch. The curry is another true thing. And I had 48(?) staples in my side where there would have been triple the stiches. I'm not exaggerating either. Another good point to staples: you need a hell of a lot less of them then stiches Just a little bit of trivia for you.

Yes, there _is_ going to be a sequel to this about that month in the country, but it will come later. Got a couple of other things I wish to write first, but keep an eye out for part three to this what is becoming a series. The title to look out for is _Believe_, named for the theme song for this series: _Believe_ by Sash! 

Again, thank you to all those that have reviewed and stood by me while I wrote this. Hope to hear from you all again in the future. #^_^#


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